‘Rahul Gandhi's padayatra will be historic’: Rajasthan minister Parsadi Lal Meena compares Congress leader to Lord Ram

New Delhi: Rajasthan Minister Parsadi Lal Meena sparked a controversy on Monday (October 17, 2022) after he compared former Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to Lord Ram. Parsadi Lal Meena, who is seen as a loyalist to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, greeted the Bharat Jodo Yatra in a conversation with reporters in Dausa, and claimed that Rahul Gandhi walked a longer distance compared to Lord Ram who traveled on foot from Ayodhya to present-day Sri Lanka.

"Rahul Gandhi's padayatra will be historic. Lord Ram too had gone from Ayodhya to Sri Lanka on foot. Rahul Gandhi is walking even more than that, from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir…,” said Rajasthan Minister Parsadi Lal Meena. 

#WATCH | Dausa: Rajasthan Minister Parsadi Lal Meena says, "Rahul Gandhi's padayatra will be historic. Lord Ram too had gone from Ayodhya to Sri Lanka on foot. Rahul Gandhi is walking even more than that, from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir...." (17.10.2022) pic.twitter.com/LPswB0Wh8e — ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) October 18, 2022

“Rahul Gandhi’s historic march aims to change the country,” he added. In Gehlot’s cabinet, Meena holds the Health and Excise portfolio in the Government of Rajasthan.

The Congress had launched its 3,500 km, 150-day Bharat Jodo Yatra from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari on September 7. The march will cover 12 states and two Union Territories in about five months. Claiming the BJP has spoiled the atmosphere of the country, he said Gandhi is undertaking the yatra to correct the atmosphere in the country, to restore peace and harmony.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday as he reached Halaharvi under Aluru constituency from neighbouring Karnataka. Rahul continued his foot march from the Hanuman temple in Chatragudi.

State Congress president Sake Sailajanath and other senior leaders received Rahul as he crossed into AP. Rahul will cover Aluru, Hatti Belagal and Munikurthi in his yatra today. He will make night halt at Chagi village under Adoni.

The Congress leader, who began the Bharat Jodo Yatra on September 7, briefly passed through villages in Anantapuramu district bordering Karnataka on October 14.

The yatra will continue through AP till October 21 when he will re-enter Karnataka, en route Telangana.

(With agency inputs)