#Politics | ‘Govt making excuses to stop yatra… scared of truth’: Rahul Gandhi after Union Minister’s letter

#WATCH | …It’s their (BJP) new idea, they wrote a letter to me saying COVID is coming & stop the Yatra. All these are excuses to stop this Yatra, they are scared of India’s truth: Rahul Gandhi on Union Health min’s letter pertaining to Covid protocols in Bharat Jodo Yatra pic.twitter.com/BCzziH2n06

— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2022

In a letter addressed to Rahul and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday, Mandaviya wrote: “Please ensure that in the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan, all Covid-19 guidelines are strictly followed, masks and sanitisers are used, and only those vaccinated against Covid-19 participate. People must isolate themselves before and after they join the yatra… If it is not possible to follow these Covid-19 protocols, then, keeping the public health situation in mind, please suspend the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the national interest…”

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya y’day wrote to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi & Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot.

Letter reads that COVID guidelines be strictly followed during Bharat Jodo Yatra & use of masks-sanitiser be implemented; mentions that only vaccinated people participate pic.twitter.com/cRIyZz0DLY

— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2022

Mandaviya said he wrote the letter after three MPs from Rajasthan wrote to him saying many people who had participated in the yatra had contracted the infection. He said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who participated in the yatra some days ago, had also tested positive.

Reacting to this, MP and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, too, called out the Centre over the letter. In a tweet, he said: “4 cases of Omicron sub-variant BF.7 driving Chinese surge were reported in Gujarat & Odisha in July, Sept & Nov. Health Minister writes a letter to @RahulGandhi yesterday. PM is reviewing situation today. #BharatJodoYatra will enter Delhi day after. Ab Aap Chronology Samjhiye…”

4 cases of Omicron sub-variant BF.7 driving Chinese surge were reported in Gujarat & Odisha in July, Sept & Nov. Health Minister writes a letter to @RahulGandhi yesterday. PM is reviewing situation today. #BharatJodoYatra will enter Delhi day after. Ab Aap Chronology Samjhiye…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 22, 2022

He had further said: ““The BJP has organised yatras in Rajasthan and Karnataka. There has been no advisory from the Centre to states of late, except the one issued yesterday on genome sequencing. It also bears recall that in March 2020, the Modi government delayed imposition of lockdown by at least a week to enable the toppling of the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh,” he said.”

In a series of tweets, Gehlot accused the BJP of attempting to suppress the groundswell of support for the Congress that the yatra had generated. “This clearly shows that BJP’s aim is to disturb the Bharat Jodo Yatra, fearing the increasing public support. Two days ago, the Prime Minister held a rally in Tripura where no Covid protocol was followed. During the second wave of Covid, the PM addressed huge rallies in Bengal. If the purpose of the Union Health Minister was not political, then his concern is justified, then he should have written the first letter to the Prime Minister,” he said.

The yatra completed its Rajasthan leg on Tuesday and entered Haryana on Wednesday morning.