Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should become the Prime Minister of the country.

His statement came even as some within INDIA bloc have pitched for Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to become the Prime Ministerial face of the alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"Only Congress party has the strength to address problems of this country.....for that, Rahul Gandhi should become the Prime Minister of the country," Siddaramaiah said.

Addressing Congress' 139th foundation day event here, he said, "Nobody in the country had done something like the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Now, he (Rahul Gandhi) is taking up a Bharat Jodo Yatra's second version - the Nyay Yatra. That's because not everyone has got justice in the country."

"Everyone in the country -- backward classes, Dalits, minorities and women -- should get justice, hence this Yatra is being undertaken by Rahul Gandhi," he added.

Asking the Congress workers whether someone like Rahul Gandhi or Narendra Modi come to power, Siddaramaiah said, "forgetting all our differences, for the sake of the country, to protect the Constitution, to save the country's multiculturalism and sovereignty, and to provide justice to everyone, we must fight together and bring Congress back to power."

Ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls too, Siddaramaiah had pitched for Rahul Gandhi as PM. Noting that some people talk of soft Hindutva, the CM said, "Hindutva is Hindutva. I'm an Hindu. Hindu and Hindutva are different...... Haven't we built Ram temples in our villages? Don't we worship Rama and do bhajans? I too used to go for bhajans in our village....Aren't we Hindus? We are also Hindus."

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New Delhi (PTI): Traffic movement in central Delhi is likely to be affected on April 8 in view of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, police said.

According to an advisory issued by the Delhi Traffic Police, congestion is expected on key stretches around the stadium from 12 pm to midnight, with the match between the Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans scheduled between 7 pm and 10.30 pm.

The advisory said that, depending on traffic conditions, diversions and restrictions may be imposed on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and JLN Marg during the day.

Movement of heavy and commercial vehicles will remain prohibited on these corridors, including stretches between Daryaganj and Delhi Gate, Delhi Gate to Guru Nanak Chowk, and ITO to Delhi Gate, the advisory read.

Commuters have been advised to avoid JLN Marg (Rajghat to Delhi Gate), Asaf Ali Road (Turkman Gate to Delhi Gate), and Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg (Delhi Gate to ITO) in both carriageways, it added.

Entry to the stadium will be regulated through designated gates, with access routes divided across the south, east and west sides via Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and JLN Marg.

The police said parking near the stadium will be restricted, with facilities available only for labelled vehicles.

According to the advisory, free parking, along with park-and-ride services, has been arranged at Mata Sundari Road, Rajghat Power House Road and Velodrome Road. Shuttle bus services will operate from these locations starting two hours before the match and continuing until one hour after it concludes, it added.

Additionally, app-based taxi pick-up and drop-off points have been designated at Gate No. 2 near Maulana Azad Medical College, Rajghat Chowk and the service lane on Ring Road between IP Flyover and Rajghat.

Vehicles found parked illegally on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, JLN Marg and the Ring Road stretch between Rajghat and IP Flyover will be towed and prosecuted, the advisory read.