 "Rahul Gandhi, Bharat Jodo Yatra")
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday dubbed the BJP government in Karnataka as the "most corrupt" in the country and said "'complaints of commission" have been sent to the prime minister but no action has been taken.
Gandhi started the 26th day of his Bharat Jodo Yatra at the crack of dawn and walked through the streets of the old Mysuru town, which was decked up for the famous 10-day Dasara celebrations, and reached Mandya.
People lined up on both sides of the road to welcome Gandhi and chanted slogans hailing the Congress leader during the yatra that has covered over 600 km in its Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala legs.
In Mysuru, the yatra moved as a colourful procession amid beating of drums, with artistes in traditional costumes walking with Congress leaders and workers to match the town's festive spirit.
After covering a distance of 22 km, readily shaking hands and clicking pictures with eager supporters on the way, Gandhi addressed a public gathering at Pandavapura bus station in Mandya, where he lashed out at the BJP government in Karnataka.
"This 40 percent Commission government in the state is taking bribes from all and the most affected are farmers, labourers, small traders, and small and medium enterprises.
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"This is the most corrupt government in the entire country. This BJP government is taking 40 percent commission. Contractors of Karnataka have written a letter to the prime minister about this commission but there is no action or response," he alleged.
The Congress leaders said that even BJP workers are not spared and one recent example was the suicide by a contractor "who happened to be a BJP leader and had to take the extreme step as he could not pay the commission".
Gandhi urged the people to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra against the politics of hate and violence "perpetrated by the BJP in the country".
He also greeted the people on the festival of Dasara, which is celebrated with traditional fervour in Mysuru.
Gandhi had on Sunday night addressed a public gathering in Mysuru amid torrential rains and continued his speech even while he was drenched.
There will be a two-day break in the yatra after which he will be entering the historic town of Srirangapatna on Thursday, from where Tipu Sultan once ruled. Tipu Sultan's mausoleum is located in this city.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has arrived in Mysuru, will also be participating in the yatra on Thursday.
"I have seen amazing confidence in the yatris who are walking along the path to unite the country. Their courage and determination are an inspiration to me, and a legacy of this journey.
"'I am proud that we all together completed 600+ kms of this journey. Love and best wishes to all," Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Monday evening.
On Durga Ashtami on Monday, Rahul Gandhi earlier visited the Chamundeshwari temple atop Chamundi hills here on the third day of the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka.
Goddess Chamundeshwari is the tutelary deity of the Mysuru royalty and the presiding deity of Mysuru for several centuries.
In a tweet in Hindi after visiting the temple, Gandhi said, "Religious harmony is the foundation of India's peaceful and progressive future".
He said his yatra is against price rise and unemployment and is about justice, compassion and equanimity.
"Be it a temple or mosque, church or gurdwara, all give only one message - love, compassion, peace and brotherhood. Our country is a confluence of various religions, languages and cultures. This is the beauty of India and this diversity is our country's strength.
"Today when this strength of our country is under attack, we have to save our dear India. Bharat Jodo Yatra is for every religion, every class, every child, elderly, woman and youth. Come, let us together unite our India," he also said in a Facebook post in Hindi.
While the former Congress president declared his resolve to unite India through his journey, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday hailed the Wayanad MP's rain-soaked moment in Mysuru as "the defining moment of the yatra.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
