Terming the public spat between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan a drama, All India Congress Committee general secretary Jairam Ramesh said here on Tuesday that both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) {CPI(M)} were perturbed over the tremendous public response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"Huge crowds at the yatra have worried and disturbed both the parties. The little drama between the Governor and the Chief Minister in Kerala is a childish attempt to divert attention away from the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Governor is a BJP nominee and the Chief Minister is a CPI(M) man. In Kerala, the CPI(M) is the A-team of the BJP. This is a joint venture between them. The CPI(M) wants to weaken the Congress in Kerala. The one way to weaken the Congress is by making the BJP strong," Mr. Ramesh said.
The Congress leader said the yatra was aimed at preparing the party for the 2024 general elections. “It has nothing to do with the upcoming State elections. The yatra has given the Congress party new energy. We are conducting the yatra from south to north (Kanyakumari to Kashmir). Next year, we may do another yatra from west to east (Porbandar to Parshuram Kund),” he said adding that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would join the Bharat Jodo yatra in Kerala in the coming days.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra completed 285 km in 13 days on Tuesday.
