'Inflation, Employment Big Questions': Rahul, Priyanka Start Padayatra in Amethi

The six-km march is being viewed as a part of the party's ongoing 'Jan Jagran Abhiyan'.

Ahead of the Assembly elections in 2022, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra set on a padayatra (foot march) on Saturday, 18 December, in Rahul Gandhi's former Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@INCIndia)

Ahead of the Assembly elections in multiple states in 2022, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra set on a foot march (padayatra) on Saturday, 18 December, in Rahul Gandhi's former Lok Sabha constituency, Amethi.

The visit marks Rahul Gandhi's return to Amethi after 2.5 years, following his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

The 6 kilometre (km) march is being viewed as a part of the party's ongoing 'Jan Jagran Abhiyan' – a nationwide agitation against the escalating inflation in the country. Addressing a crowd in Jagdishpur on Saturday, the leader said:

"I came into politics in 2004. Amethi was the city where I contested my first election. People of Amethi have taught me a lot about politics. You have shown me the way to politics and I want to thank each and everyone from Amethi."

Rahul Gandhi, as per news agency ANI

The Congress MP, in a scathing attack aimed at the central Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, stated that the inflation, pain and sadness in our country is "the work of the Hindutvawadis."

Continuing his criticism of the BJP administration, he said,

"You are aware of the situation today. Unemployment and inflation are the biggest questions that neither the CM nor PM will answer. PM was taking a dip in Ganga a few days back but won't talk about unemployment."

Rahul Gandhi, as per ANI

Rahul Continues His Hindu vs Hindutva Jibe

Rahul Gandhi continued his Hindu vs Hindutva jibe as he attacked and also mocked Modi over his 'Ganga Snan' in Varanasi. He said that only a 'Hindutvavadi' bathes alone in the Ganga, while "a Hindu bathes with crores of people."

He added that during the 'snan,' PM Modi had sidelined UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Narendra Modi says he is a Hindu, but when did he protect truth?... He asked people to bang thalis to get rid of COVID... Hindu or Hindutvavadi?

Rahul Gandhi, MP, Congress

He even took to mocking PM Modi by asking the crowd to remember the news about PM Modi fighting a crocodile when he was young. Mocking his actions, he said, "I thought he didn't know how to swim."

Earlier, Congress MLC Deepak Singh had said that the foot march would start from Jagdishpur and culminate at Jamo in Gauriganj.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a rally in Shahjahanpur, where he laid the foundation stone for the upcoming Ganga Expressway.