'Bharat Jodo Yatra' against injustice; will not accept 'two Hindustans': Rahul Gandhi

As the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' completed 19 days and 419 kilometres by Monday evening, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the foot march is against injustices like waiving off debts running into billions owed by rich businessmen while farmers or small traders are punished for loan defaults.

In his speech at the end of the day's yatra in Koppam in Kerala's Palakkad district, he said the BJP government at the Centre was favouring a few rich businessmen by waiving off their debts, while the same consideration was not being shown to the farmers, small traders and other businessmen.

He also tweeted about it in Hindi, saying: "Today, billions of loans of big industrialists are being waived. But, if a farmer or small trader is unable to repay even a small loan, then he is put in jail by calling him a 'defaulter'. Bharat Jodo Yatra is against every injustice. The country will not accept this 'two Hindustan' version of the king."

While addressing a huge crowd of people who had turned up to see him at Koppam, Gandhi, an MP from Wayanad, said that while buying LPG cylinders or filling fuel in their vehicles, people should question where the extra amount they are being charged was going.

"Money does not disappear... It is going into the pockets of five or six of the richest businessmen in the country. We will not accept this unfairness," he said.

Meanwhile, AICC general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh tweeted, "Day 19 of #BharatJodoYatra ends at Koppam. Fantastic response! Yatris walked 22 kms today. Container site is compact but lovely. 419 kms completed. 2.5 days more in Kerala, which has been electrified by @RahulGandhi. Whatever the news elsewhere, only #BharatJodoYatra matters!"

During the morning session of the yatra, hundreds of people waited on both sides of the road to meet Rahul Gandhi. A group of young girls presented the Congress leader with a framed drawing of himself.

"Couldn't have asked for a better start to the Padyatra. The young minds are coming out in large numbers to bless @RahulGandhi Ji and all the Padyatris. We owe them a brighter future. Towards achieving our goal. #BharatJodoYatra," the party said in a tweet along with a photo of the young girls holding Gandhi's drawing.

Later in the day, the crowd had swelled to thousands.

The Congress' 3,570 km and 150-day long foot march started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir.

The yatra, which entered Kerala on September 10, will go through the state covering 450 km, touching seven districts in 19 days before entering Karnataka on October 1.