Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has flung explosive charges against Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, accusing Urban Naxal organisations of being part of the campaign. Speaking in the Maharashtra Assembly, Fadnavis accused certain groups affiliated with the Yatra of conspiring to overthrow BJP-led governments.
He said that the organisations met in Kathmandu on November 15 to deliberate on how to oppose Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and advocate for ballot papers to be readmitted in BJP-ruled states.
Fadnavis further said that the ATS has launched a probe into the use of “terror funds” during the Maharashtra Assembly elections and asserted that there is “evidence of foreign interference.” The Maharashtra CM said, “On November 15, a meeting was held in Kathmandu that was attended by some organisations that took part in the (Rahul Gandhi-led) Bharat Jodo Yatra and issues like opposing EVMs and the introduction of ballot papers in Maharashtra and BJP-ruled states were discussed.”
Maharashtra: CM Devendra Fadnavis says, “The Bharat Jodo movement started by Rahul Gandhi is not just a movement… I had asked, who is part of this campaign? In this country, we have fought against Naxalism… Naxalists do not believe in the Constitution of India or in our… pic.twitter.com/NJ4WE0J0oY
— IANS (@ians_india) December 19, 2024
Devendra Fadnavis declared that 40 out of the 180 organisations involved in the Bharat Jodo Yatra had earlier been declared as frontal organizations of Naxals by the then Home Minister RR Patil when the Congress-NCP government was in place. He said, “On February 18, 2014, during the Manmohan Singh government, the Centre mentioned 72 frontal organisations in the Lok Sabha, out of which 7 were part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.”
According to Fadnavis, these organizations actively campaigned for the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance during the Maharashtra polls. He stated, “There was evidence of foreign interference in Indian elections. The opposition is allowing their shoulders to be used by someone else.”
His remarks came at a time when the Maharashtra government brought the Special Public Security Act, 2024, in an effort to counter the rise of Naxalism in cities.
The Chief Minister also related Bharat Jodo Yatra with financial irregularities discovered in Malegaon, wherein ₹1,000 crore have been allegedly laundered through accounts in 21 states. “They used forged Aadhaar and PAN details to make transactions, which increases my doubts over the source of funding behind the Yatra,” he said.
The Congress, however, dismissed the allegations as a desperate attempt to undermine Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Despite the defense by Congress, the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which was initially described as a uniting movement against divisive politics, now raises serious questions. Some have questioned its alleged associations and its role in promoting opposition to democratic processes like EVM-based elections.
