Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday claimed that the letter written to him and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi by Mansukh Mandaviya regarding following the COVID protocol during the Bharat Jodo Yatra is because the BJP has been "alarmed" at the popularity of the foot march in the state.
"The BJP and the Modi government are so alarmed by the huge turnout in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan that they are writing letters to Rahul Gandhi to follow the Covid-19 protocol in Rajasthan," Gehlot said while talking to the reporters.
The Chief Minister said that the move by the Health Minister clearly shows that BJP's aim is to disturb the Yatra.
"Upset with the rising public support for Bharat Jodo Yatra, BJP's aim is to disturb it," he further said.
He further accused that the step of writing the letter was not in the interest of the public but "politically motivated".
"PM Modi did rallies in Tripura two days ago where no COVID protocols were followed. During the second wave of COVID also, PM had mass rallies in West Bengal. If the Union Health Minister's objective is not political and his concern is justified, then he should have written the first letter to the Prime Minister," Gehlot said.
Gehlot's comment came after Mandaviya wrote a letter to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Gehlot asking to follow the COVID-19 guidelines strictly during the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The Health Minister wrote, "Follow the COVID guidelines strictly during Bharat Jodo Yatra which is going on in Rajasthan. Use of masks-sanitiser should be implemented. Only vaccinated people should participate."
Mandaviya has also requested to postpone the foot march if the following protocol is impossible."If following COVID protocol is not possible then the Bharat Jodo Yatra be postponed in the national interest, taking note of the public health emergency," the letter further stated.Notably, the Yatra observed its last day in Rajasthan on Tuesday and entered Haryana today.
( With inputs from ANI )
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