Nyay Yatra: Rahul Gandhi gives flying kisses to crowd shouting 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Modi, Modi'
Nagaon (Assam), Jan 21: As a group of BJP workers chanted "Jai Shri Ram" and raised "Modi, Modi" slogans in front of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra bus here, the Congress leader waved, gave flying kisses and stepped down to meet them.
"Our 'Mohabbat ki dukaan' (shop of love) is open for everyone. 'Judega Bharat, Jeetega Hindustan'," Gandhi said in a post on X while sharing a video of the incident.
Later addressing a public meeting here, the Congress MP narrated the incident and said the Congress is neither scared of Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Congress has claimed that its leaders, including Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh, were targeted by BJP supporters during the Assam leg of the Manipur-to-Maharashtra Nyay Yatra.
The BJP, however, claimed that Gandhi was rattled after "Jai Shri Ram" and "Modi, Modi" slogans were raised in his presence.
"If this is how rattled he is, how will he face the people of this country in days ahead, after the anti-Hindu Congress rejected the invite to be part of the 'Pran Pratishtha' (January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony ) in Ayodhya?" BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said on X tagging the video.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said some people chanted "'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Modi, Modi" during the yatra "so Rahul Gandhi arrogantly charges at them".
"Security personnel stopped him. 'Mohabbat ki dukaan' or 'Ahankaar ki Dukaan' (shop of arrogance)
Shameful and atrocious behaviour by entitled dynast! He even made kissing actions to the crowd!!" he said on X.
At the public meeting, Gandhi said, "Some 2-3 kms before, around 20-25 BJP workers carrying sticks came in front of our bus, and when I came out from the bus, they ran away...they think that the Congress is scared of BJP and RSS workers."
"What kind of dream are they seeing. They can tear as many posters and placards as they want, we don't care, and are not bothered. We are not scared of anybody, we are neither scared of Narendra Modi nor the chief minister here," he said.
During his earlier Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi had made similar gestures to a crowd which chanted "Modi, Modi" slogans when the march was in Rajasthan.
The Congress has alleged that the "attacks" on its yatra have the backing of Chief Minister Sarma.
In his speech at Nagaon public meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge targeted Sarma, saying, "This is something like 'Meri billi mujh se meow'."
"The cat which once belonged to the Congress is now doing 'meow' to us," Kharge said. Sarma had quit the Congress to join the BJP in 2015.
AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said his vehicle was attacked by some BJP protesters but he kept his composure and moved on.
"My vehicle was attacked a few minutes ago at Jumugurihat, Sunitpur, by an unruly BJP crowd who also tore off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra stickers from the windshield. They threw water and shouted anti-BJNY (Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra) slogans," he said.
"But we kept our composure, waved to the hooligans and sped away. This is undoubtedly the Assam CM's doing. We are not intimidated and will soldier on," Ramesh said.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said, "Complete lawlessness at display in Assam. All along the yatra route, the CM has stationed his goons to attack the yatra and disrupt our peaceful march for justice."
"He's completely mistaken to think this will deter us. If anything, this has given us more strength to ensure his and Narendra Modi's defeat, " he said.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will pass through 100 Lok Sabha constituencies in 15 states, traversing 6,713 km, mostly in buses but also on foot, and culminate in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. It began from Thoubal in Manipur on January 14.
सबके लिए खुली है मोहब्बत की दुकान,
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 21, 2024
जुड़ेगा भारत, जीतेगा हिंदुस्तान।🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/Bqae0HCB8f
Rahul Gandhi lost his cool after Jai Shri Ram and Modi Modi slogans were raised in his presence. If this is how rattled he is, how will he face the people of this country in days ahead, after the anti-Hindu Congress rejected the invite to be part of the Pran Pratistha in Ayodhya? pic.twitter.com/XsBX4elSBG
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 21, 2024
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Siddaramaiah, I will abide by Cong high command decision on leadership isssue, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said both he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will abide by any decision takeb by the Congress high command on the leadership issue in the state.
Speaking to reporters after returning from Delhi, the Congress state president said, he has full faith in the party leadership and that it would take an approapriate decision at the appropriate time.
The remarks comes amid speculations within the party and political circles about a possible leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, when the results for assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two assembly segments in the Karnataka are announced.
"I will not speak about political issues before the media. I have already said that when the time comes you will get to know. So I will not tell you," Shivakumar said in response to a question on discussions with the Congress high command during his Delhi visit over the last couple of days.
He asserted that there are no issues within the party, and whatever has been already decided will take place accordingly.
Responding to a question on senior Minister Satish Jarkiholi's reported statement about internal differences, the Deputy CM said, "nothing like that, they (high command) will do what they have to do at the appropriate time."
"There are no issues, we have faith in our party, they will do what they have to," he added.
Asked about the issue of leadership change as the government is about to complete three years in office, Shivakumar said, "... I have never discussed this issue. The CM and I have both said that we will accept whatever and whenever the high command decides, and we will abide by it."
He declined to comment when asked whether any "good news" can be expected by his birthday on May 15.
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025. The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
Responding to a question on the BJP's criticism against the Congress government over its decision on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes, alleging injustice to several communities and questioning its intent behind the revised quota formula, Shivakumar said the BJP could not do anything on internal reservation while in power, but the Congress has kept its promise.
"We have found a solution and tried to do justice to all sections among SCs. We have fulfilled the promise made and every one should go together," he said.
Shivakumar warned his party workers against erecting flex banners for his birthday on May 15.
"For May 15, I want to tell everyone that no one should put up flex banners or advertisements for my birthday. If flex are installed I will ensure that cases are registered by authorities against those responsible, whether they are party workers or followers....no one should put such things on roads, this is my personal request," he said, adding that he has asked commissioners of the city corporations to register cases and impose heavy fines.
