RLD joins Bharat Jodo Yatra, steps away from Opposition, ally SP ranks on march

On Wednesday, the RLD top leadership welcomed the Congress leader as his Yatra entered Baghpat, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary’s home district. They will also be present during the Yatra’s Shamli stretch on Thursday, after which the march will cross over into Haryana.

Over its three days in the state, the Rahul Yatra is confined to west UP, which is the RLD’s stronghold.

On Tuesday, Jayant Chaudhary had hailed the Yatra, tweeting in Hindi: “Only after penance do the bricks made of dharti (clay) touch the sky. Salute to the tapasvi (ascetics) of Bharat Jodo Yatra! May this campaign going on in Uttar Pradesh be meaningful and keep connecting people with the culture of the country and with each other!”

RLD leaders said Chaudhary had directed the party leadership to take part in the Yatra, and may have also attended himself if he was not out of the country.

The RLD contingent was led by party national general secretary Kuldeep Ujjwal, and was accompanied by several state-level and district-level leaders, including its Baghpat district president Jagpal Singh Tewatia.

Ujjwal said the RLD backed “the Congress’s initiative to unite the country”. “We were following Jayantji’s instructions. We support those who are against communal forces and who want to create an atmosphere that is amicable and based on unity. Our leader (Chaudhary) told us that those who support brotherhood should be supported and saluted as they reach our land.”

The senior RLD leader added: “We are not looking at it through the prism of politics. We are only looking at it as an initiative of the Congress and Rahulji to unite the country. We follow the same ideology, and our party has also been holding programmes to increase unity in society.”

Asked what the RLD participation in the Yatra would mean for politics in the state, a senior party leader said the Congress had to cover a long distance before that. “It is too early to say anything right now, but the Congress is very weak in UP and, since they are a national party, their demands are too big. Hence, an alliance with them makes no sense for a state party in UP.”

Several leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), an outfit that is also strongest in west UP, were among those present at the Yatra. The BKU had earlier said that while the outfit itself would not participate in the march, its workers were free to do so.

Reiterating that there was “no political motive”, Pratap Gurjar, the BKU’s Baghpat unit chief, who was present, said: “The Tikait brothers have not come to Baghpat, but they too support the Yatra, which is being taken out for a sane purpose. We are happy that I along with my party workers got the chance to walk with Rahulji.”

Actor Kamya Panjabi as well as Prakashi Tomar, one of the oldest sharpshooters in the world, at the age of 96, were among the non-political personalities at the Yatra. Tomar belongs to Johri village of Baghpat, which is a hub of shooters.

With North India shivering under a cold wave, the Yatris who set off around 6 am were covered in gloves, warm caps, mufflers and jackets, though Rahul persisted with only a T-shirt. Party workers showered rose petals on the stretch the Yatra started from, as onlookers gathered to watch despite the cold.

After a day of walking, Rahul addressed a meeting at Chaprauli crossing in Baraut around 6 pm. Thanking the people for the “love” showered on him, he raised the issue of farmer dues – an acute problem in west UP, a sugarcane belt — saying these were up to crores of rupees. “Those opposed to the farm laws laid down their lives for the welfare of the agrarian community, but it left zero impact on the deaf and dumb government,” Rahul said, going on to talk about rising prices, “rising unemployment”, the Agniveer scheme and the fact that the government worked for “the benefit of a few corporates”, amid cheers from the audience.

When the people sought jobs, he added, “the Prime Minister threatened that their photographs would be taken and they would never be able to get a government job in the future”.

Veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who also addressed the meeting, said: “RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary has called Rahulji an ascetic and that is absolutely true. Is there any political leader in our country who cares to walk so early in the morning and in the freezing cold for the sole purpose of ending the politics of fragmentation?”

The Congress’s UP social media cell in-charge, Pankhuri Pathak, said: “The chiefs of the main Opposition parties in the state have not joined the Yatra, but all of them, including Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawatiji and Jayant Chaudhary, have appreciated the move and have given a free hand to their party workers to join us… The Opposition leaders may join us later, nobody knows.”

Rahul returned to Delhi after the Baghpat meeting, and will be travelling back to Baraut Thursday morning to walk to Shamli. With Sonia Gandhi hospitalised in Delhi for a check-up, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is the Congress’s UP in-charge, did not join the Yatra on Wednesday.

All other senior Congress leaders, including Digvijaya Singh and Jairam Ramesh, headed to Shamli for the night.