Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who reached Alwar in the Rajasthan leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, urged BJP leaders targeting him to "open up shops to spread love in the market of hatred".
"I am opening a shop of love in the market of hatred. This is my response to BJP leaders who ask why I am doing this yatra," said Congress leader during Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"You hate me, you abuse me, this is your heart. Your 'bazaar is of nafrat' (the market is of hatred), but my shop is of love," he stressed.
While addressing a poll rally, the Congress leader asked each minister in the Rajasthan Cabinet to undertake a Yatra once a month across the state to reach out to the common people and redress their grievances.
"In the end, they will have to do the same because our country is a country of love, not of hatred." He accused the BJP leaders of abusing him and spreading hatred.
Upon seeing Congress workers giving flying kisses to him, Gandhi said he got distracted by their gesture and said even those atop BJP offices wave back at him after initial hesitation.
He said the Yatra has walked for 100 days now and "on the way sometimes I met my dear friends who are standing atop BJP offices, who do not respond to my waving but later they do".
"I don't hate them but I stand by my ideology. They ask me what I am doing and their leaders ask me why I am walking from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were also present in the meeting. Gandhi openly praised the state government's ambitious Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme and Mahatma Gandhi English School Scheme.
Gehlot announced the state government will give LPG cylinders at the rate of Rs 500 per cylinder from April 1 next year to the BPL families of the state and the families coming under the Ujjwala Yojana.
(With inputs from PTI)