Consider suspending Yatra if Covid protocols cannot be followed: Mandaviya to Rahul

The Minister's letter also came, incidentally, a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a scathing attack on the BJP in a party rally in Rajasthan's Alwar

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has based a letter from three Rajasthan BJP MPs to urge Rahul Gandhi to consider suspending the Bharat Jodo Yatra if Covid-19 protocols cannot be followed, prompting the Congress to hit back saying public health is far too serious an issue to play party politics and referred to the saffron party’s ‘yatras’ in Rajasthan and Karnataka.

Mandaviya wrote to Rahul and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday within hours after receiving a letter from PP Chaudhary Nihal Chand and Devji Patel claiming that Covid-19 is spreading in the state due to the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Read | Why hasn’t the Bharat Jodo Yatra set the Ganga on fire yet?

The Minister's letter came, incidentally, a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a scathing attack on the BJP in a party rally in Rajasthan's Alwar when he said that "not even a dog of the BJP was lost" for the country during the independence struggle and that the Narendra Modi government "talks like a lion but acts like a mouse" when it comes to Chinese aggression against India.

In his letter, Mandaviya flagged concerns and urged that Covid-19 protocols, including use of masks and sanitisers, be strictly followed during the march and only those who are vaccinated be allowed to participate.

The MPs claimed in their letter that the risk of Covid-19 has "increased" in Rajasthan as people from other states take part in the march and claimed that symptoms have shown up in many of them after the participation. They cited the example of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu who tested positive for the virus infection after attending yatra in Rajasthan.

Hitting back, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said that the MPs' letter was sent following the "enormous success" of the ongoing Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra in Rajasthan.

"Parliament is meeting normally. Masks are no longer compulsory anywhere including on flights. BJP has taken out yatras in Rajasthan and Karnataka. There has been no advisory from the Centre to states of late except the one issued yesterday on genome sequencing," Ramesh said in a statement. He was referring to the Janakrosh Yatra in Rajasthan and Jan Sankalp yatra in Karnataka.

Mincing no words, he also alleged one should also recall that in March 2020, the Modi government "delayed imposition of lockdown by at least a week to enable the toppling of the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh".

"Public health is far too serious an issue on which to play party politics. If there is a protocol for gatherings Bharat Jodo Yatra will abide by it undoubtedly," he added.

In Haryana's Nuh, Ramesh said he could understand that the BJP is "afraid and is in trouble" after seeing the success of the yatra. He said, "please announce Covid-19 protocols, we will all follow Covid protocols."

Referring to Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan's communication to states asking them to ensure genome sequencing of all positive cases, he said it was neither an "advisory nor a warning" but the Minister still wrote to Rahul. "If it is a serious issue, adjourn Parliament, make wearing masks compulsory in flights and put a ban on all public gatherings," he said.

Responding to the letter, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted, "this letter clearly shows that the BJP's aim is to disturb the yatra fearing increasing public support."

Congress Media Department Chairperson Pawan Khera said, "we are wondering why a similar letter was not sent to the president of BJP in Rajasthan Satish Punia who is carrying out a Janakrosh Yatra there. We understand there is not much of a response to that Janakrosh Yatra, there are no people there."