Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not want the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to succeed and that is why Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was creating difficulties for it, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged.
Addressing a press conference at Gobindapur in Lakhimpur district, he alleged that Mr. Sarma was trying to give a communal colour to the programme.
"The Chief Minister is following the prime minister. The Prime Minister doesn't want the Yatra to be successful, to be welcomed. Who is Himanta Biswa Sarma? He is a puppet, everything that is happening is being done by the 'ahangkarcharya' (proud person)," Mr. Ramesh alleged.
"The one-point agenda of the Chief Minister is to give a communal colour to the Yatra. But he has got it totally wrong. Wherever the Yatra is going, people from all sections are welcoming Rahul Gandhi," he claimed.
After three days in Assam, the Yatra entered Arunachal Pradesh. It will resume its Assam leg on January 21 and travel through the state till January 25.
Mr. Ramesh claimed that the party was facing most of its problems in getting route permissions in Guwahati, the state's largest city.
The Yatra is slated to travel through Guwahati on January 23, though the itinerary has not been confirmed yet due to pending permission issues, he said.
"I want to make two special requests to BJP national president JP Nadda. Please tell Mr. Sarma that he doesn't have to continue to prove his loyalty to his new 'maliks' (bosses). That you know that he is a loyal BJP-RSS worker," he said.
"And secondly, to allow the Yatra to proceed through the same route in Guwahati which was used by Nadda during his visit recently," he added.
Mr. Nadda was in Guwahati earlier this month to attend the executive meeting of the BJP's state unit.
Referring to the first Bharat Jodo Yatra that was led by Mr. Gandhi from south to north, Mr. Ramesh maintained that no major problems were faced even when it crossed BJP-ruled states.
"Some minor issues did emerge but were sorted out with discussions," he added.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who was also present at the press meet, said that his party wants to present the natural beauty, cultural legacy and harmony among the people of the country before the world through the Yatra.
"On the other hand, the BJP government is showing its narrow-mindedness. They are creating problems for people wanting to participate in the Yatra. I appeal to the CM to concentrate on his government work. No one can stop the Yatra," Mr. Gogoi said.
State Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah claimed that the BJP-led state government has not given permissions for the Yatra in Guwahati despite the applications being submitted 10 days ago.
"We have applied for using the same route that BJP national president JP Nadda had used. But the permissions are still awaited though we have been pursuing it persistently," he said.
