'BJP And Congress Have Same Ideology': Akhilesh Yadav On Bharat Jodo Yatra Invite

“We have not received any invitation [for Bharat Jodo Yatra]. The ideology of our party is different. BJP and Congress both are same,” Akhilesh Yadav said in Lucknow.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said that he had not received any invitation from the Congress to participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra's UP leg.

Former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said that he had not received any invitation for the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. He said the ideology of his Samajwadi Party is different from that of the Congress and the BJP. 

“We have not received any invitation [for Bharat Jodo Yatra]. The ideology of our party is different. BJP and Congress both are same,” Akhilesh Yadav said in Lucknow. 

He, however, said that his “sentiments are with their yatra”. 

Yadav’s claims come amid the Congress’s sources saying that an invitation was sent to Akhilesh Yadav as well as BSP leader Mayawati. Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party is the biggest Opposition in UP. 

"Our sentiments are with their yatra, but I have received no invitation," he added 

NDTV quoted SP spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari as saying: “We support the idea of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. But we don’t want this to spark any speculation of a possible alliance.”  

 The Congress and the SP have a bitter-sweet history with alliances that save the UPA government in 2008 to the partnership hitting rock bottom in the 2017 UP polls. Congress, which has only two seats in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, would do well to make amends with the state’s largest opposition party if it wants any chance of making a mark in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

The Congress leader KC Venugopal on Wednesday wrote to the Minister for Home Affairs, Amit Shah, to increase Rahul Gandhi's security, alleging multiple breaches.

Venugopal said that the Yatra’s security had been breached multiple times since December 24 when it entered Delhi.

"The Delhi Police has completely failed in controlling the surging crowd and maintaining a perimeter around Rahul Gandhi, who is assigned Z+ security," the letter read. The Delhi Police comes under the ambit of the MHA.