Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Rahul Gandhi attacks PM Modi, Bachchans over Ram Temple event, says...

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the spectacular Ram Mandir pran pratishtha ceremony that took place on January 22. Calling the pran pratishtha a spectacle, Gandhi said the ceremony was devoid of any representation for lower castes. 

He singled out Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan out of all the Bollywood celebrities present at the event. 

"Did you see the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha? Did you see any OBC, or SC/ST faces? It was attended by Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Bachchan, and PM Narendra Modi, but we didn't see the people who truly run the country. These people want to ensure that you guys can never control the country," Gandhi told a public gathering during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on Sunday in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj. 

Prime Minister Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat presided over the Ram Temple pran pratishtha held in January this year. They were joined by celebrities, industrialists, politicians and dignitaries including the Bachchans. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, however, was not present at the event. 

Opposition parties including the Congress, however, chose to give the event a miss. They accused the BJP of exploiting the Ram Mandir consecration for political gains. 

Rahul Gandhi reiterates caste census pitch

He further claimed that people who constitute around 73 per cent of the total population of India were not present during the event, while adding the BJP would never want them to assume the reins of the country. 

The Congress leader, who is looking to regain face in the country's most populous state, took the stage to reiterate the caste census pitch. Calling the caste census an essential tool to expose social inequalities, Gandhi said: "How much wealth do the 73 per cent castes have in this country? Caste census is the X-ray of the country. This will reveal everything.

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi

Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is all set to enter Amethi, his former Lok Sabha constituency. The yatra's entry into the constituency coincides with Smriti Irani's four-day visit. Smriti Irani defeated Rahul Gandhi in Amethi in the 2019 General Elections. 

After Amethi, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will enter Raebareli, a bastion of the Gandhi family in Uttar Pradesh. 

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