Rahul Gandhi pays obeisance at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, holds roadshow in Modi's constituency

Continuing his tirade against the BJP, Rahul, whose Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra entered Uttar Pradesh on Friday, said that an 'atmosphere of hatred and fear' prevailed in the country today and added that 'working toward uniting the country is true patriotism'.

Lucknow: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday paid obeisance at the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of prime minister Narendra Modi, and held a roadshow in the town.

Continuing his tirade against the BJP, Rahul, whose Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra had entered Uttar Pradesh on Friday, said that an ''atmosphere of hatred and fear'' prevailed in the country today and added that ''working toward uniting the country is true patriotism''.

''Ye desh mohabbat ka desh hai...nafarat ka desh nahin hai,'' (this country symbolises love not hatred), the Congress leader said while addressing the people during his yatra in the town.

Rahul said that unemployment was the biggest issue in the country today but the BJP leaders did not talk about it. He also interacted with the people during his roadshow and spoke to some unemployed youth also.

He also castigated the media saying that they (TV channels) showed Modi round-the-clock but they never bother to show the real issues. ''We have two different India today...one belongs to the billionaires and the other to the poor,'' he added.

The Congress leader also met some teachers and students of the prestigious Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and expressed serious concern at the recent incident of alleged rape of a girl inside the campus.

Earlier in the day, Rahul visited the Kashi Vshwanath Temple and paid obeisance and thereafter began his 12-km long roadshow in the town. His roadshow passed through Godoulia, Maidagin, Gyanvapi, Golgadda and culminated at Manduadih. Many of the localities through which his roadshow passed were Muslim dominated. 

Rahul, who was scheduled to proceed to the neighbouring Bhadohi district from Varanasi, cancelled his programme and left for Wayanad, his Lok Sabha constituency, following some urgent work, Congress leaders said. He would join the Yatra in Prayagraj on Sunday.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was scheduled to accompany Rahul in Varanasi, however, has cancelled her visit citing health reasons.

Rahul has decided to cut short the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in its UP leg by five days in view of the forthcoming UP ''Board examinations'', which would be starting from February 22.

Congress leaders here said that Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav could be seen with Rahul when the latter's yara entered Raebareli, the Lok Sabha constituency represented by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, or Amethi which was represented by Rahul in the LS till 2019. Rahul had lost to union minister Smriti Irani in the 2019 LS polls.