Rahul Gandhi interacting with the Indian diaspora in San Francisco, California, in the United States. (Photo: Congress/Twitter)Rahul Gandhi claimed that the government used "all its strength" to prevent the Bharat Jodo Yatra, in an event held in San Francisco.
His three-city tour in the US started on Tuesday (30 May), and he plans to meet Indian expats and US politicians while there.
"The government used all its strength to stop the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The BJP is threatening people and misusing government agencies. But nothing worked and the impact of the Yatra increased. This happened because the idea of 'Join India' is in everyone's heart," the Congress leader said.
"The Bharat Jodo Yatra started because all the instruments that we needed to connect with the people were controlled by the BJP-RSS," he claimed.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra started in Kanyakumari on 7 September 2022 and ended in Srinagar on 30 January 2023, covering over 3,000 km.
According to Gandhi, his Yatra "carried the spirit of affection, respect, and humility," and "all spiritual leaders, including Guru Nanak Dev ji, Guru Basavanna ji, Narayana Guru ji, united the nation in a similar way."
Gandhi's remarks have come a few weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the US in June.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have invited PM Modi and will host a state dinner for him on 22 June.
In the US, Gandhi reiterated the Congress party's call for a caste census as they believe it would reveal the extent of caste discrimination in the country.
He alleged that the BJP and RSS were dividing the country based on caste and religion and attacking the Constitution.
During his six-day-long tour of the US, the 52-year-old is expected to speak to Indian Americans, meet with Wall Street executives, and interact with university students.
On 4 June, he will conclude his trip with a public gathering in New York at the Javits Center.
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