Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' reached Rajasthan's Alwar district on Monday where Rahul Gandhi said that he is "opening a shop of love in the market of hatred".
The former Congress President said that the voice of the workers and common people should echo in the government, suggesting to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot sitting on the dais that the way the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' is being taken out, a 'padayatra' should also be taken out in every district of the state one day in a month.
"If the government meets the people once in a month, the problems of the public will directly reach it," he said.
Making a big announcement at the rally, Gehlot said that from April 1, 2023, the beneficiaries of Ujjwala Yojana will be given gas cylinders for Rs 500.
Addressing the gathering at Malakheda in Alwar district, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said it is clear from the overwhelming response the Bharat Jodo Yatra is getting that the Congress will definitely win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
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He also recited a poem by Makhdoom Mohiuddin -- "Hayat le ke chalo kainat le ke chalo, chalo to saare zamane ko saath le ke chalo" -- and said that this is how Rahul Gandhi is taking everyone along.
Kharge also spoke about the ruckus being created by the BJP leaders over Rahul Gandhi's questions about China.
"Be it in Galwan, Doklam, and now in Taiwan, China is creating trouble for us. We say that there should be discussion on this in the House, but they (BJP) are not ready for it. We give notice for discussion in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, yet they are not ready for it. We are saying tell the country what is going on at the borders. What is the condition of our soldiers... We will fight unitedly to protect the country, but why is the BJP hiding," Kharge asked.
Kharge also said that central agencies like the ED and the CBI are being misused.
"The BJP wants to scare the opposition, but the Congress is not afraid. We have fought for the country's freedom. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi have sacrificed their lives for the country. Yet the BJP calls itself patriots and us traitors," Kharge said.
Addressing the gathering, Rahul Gandhi said the Bharat Jodo Yatra has been going on for 100 days now.
"After Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, we are now in Rajasthan. I also meet other dear friends along the way. Usually they stand above the BJP office. When I am passing by, I greet them by waving to them. In the market of hatred, I am opening a shop of love. You hate me, you abuse me... But your shop is of hate, while my shop is of love.
"And it's not just my store, it's the entire organisation's store. During the freedom struggle, Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Ambedkar, Azad all had opened shops of love in the market of hatred. I would also request BJP leaders to open a shop of love in the market of hatred. In the end, you will have to do this because our religion, our country is all about love, and not of hatred," Rahul Gandhi said.
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Praising the Rajasthan government, Rahul Gandhi said that perhaps the best schemes for the poor in the country can be found in Rajasthan.
The Congress MP said that when he was travelling in other states like Karnataka and Maharashtra, people used to meet him and say that they want a kidney transplant, but don't have the money.
"This is not happening in Rajasthan. I had met two persons on Sunday. One had a cochlear implant and the other had a kidney transplant. Both said the treatment was done for free. The Chiranjeevi Yojana has removed fear from the hearts of lakhs of people. That's why the state government has to be praised, as this scheme can show the way to the whole country," he said.
Talking about English medium schools, Rahul Gandhi said that wherever BJP leaders go, they talk against English.
"They say that English should not be taught in schools. But if you see these leaders, their children study in English medium schools. But they do not want the son of a poor labourer to learn English. We should study Hindi, Tamil, all languages... But if we have to talk to the rest of the world, only English will work. That's why I am happy that 1,700 English medium schools have been opened in Rajasthan," Rahul Gandhi said.
