'Rahul Gandhi Walking More Than Lord Ram, Kanniyakumari To Kashmir': Congress Leader On Bharat Jodo Yatra

The remarks of the Maharasthra Congress chief came after Meena on Monday said that Rahul Gandhi is walking even more than Lord Ram did from Ayodhya to 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," Mr Meena had said.

Reacting to the statement, Mr Patole said that it is a "coincidence" that both the names Rahul and Ram begin with "R", but the Congress party does not compare Rahul Gandhi with Lord Ram.

"Even Lord Sri Ram also walked (PadaYatra) from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and even Shankaracharya walked the same way, and so is Rahul Gandhi doing in the form of padayatra. People are joining him, so it's not a comparison with Lord Ram but a coincidence that both Lord Ram and Rahul Gandhi's names begin with "R". But we don't compare Rahul with Lord Ram while BJP leaders compare their leaders with God. God is God and Rahul Gandhi is a human being and he is working for humanity and it can be seen by everyone," Mr Patole told ANI.

Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday morning. The yatra is scheduled to carry on for 150 days.

On the 41st day of the Yatra, Rahul Gandhi resumed the march from the Halaharvi bus stop in Kurnool.

"As Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Andhra Pradesh, the excitement has gone to the next level. Massive support to all the Padyatris has energised everyone," the Congress said in a tweet.

Mr Patole has organised a meeting today to discuss the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is likely to pass from Maharashtra on November 7. The agenda of the meeting is to prepare for the yatra so that people can join it.

Mr Patole took an apparent jibe at his ally and NCP chief Sharad Pawar for supporting Ashish Shelar for the cricketing body polls.

"BJP knows well with whom they want to be close. There is an election going on in the cricket body also and all are coming together giving a different message. And so we have expressed our view that how there is so much of a difference in the views from the playground to other fields," he said.

"Everyone can make out what's coming out from the cricket game (Mumbai Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India polls)," Mr Patole added.

However, the Congress leader added that the party welcomed the decision of the BJP to let the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena's candidate Rutuja Latke win the bypoll unopposed.

"We welcome the decision of unopposed win in this by-poll election. In today's politics, the sentiments of the people must also be taken into consideration. The tradition must be kept alive," he added.

The move was made in support of the Uddhav Thackeray faction's candidate Rutuja Latke, as the party withdrew its candidate Murji Patel from the seat.

Andheri East bye-election is slated to take place on November 3, this year.

"The BJP coalition has decided not to contest Mumbai's Andheri East assembly by-election and our candidate Murji Patel will withdraw the nomination. It is a collective decision by both the central and the state leadership," Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the BJP Maharashtra President had said.

Rutuja Latke, the widow of late Ramesh Latke was fielded by the Shiv Sena camp led by Thackeray for the Andheri East bye-elections after the Bombay High court on Thursday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to accept the resignation of Rutuja Latke.

Earlier, Maharashtra Navirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray also requested Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis not to field a BJP candidate against Rutuja Latke in the upcoming Andheri East Assembly by-polls out of respect to late MLA Ramesh Latke.

In a letter to Fadnavis, the MNS chief said, "I am writing this letter with a special request. After the sudden death of MLA. Ramesh Latke, for the Andheri East, the by-poll election has been announced. His widow, Rujuta Latke has filed candidature for the same."