"Rahul Gandhi, a great 'Tapasvi'; doesn't need permission to conduct Yatra": Congress' Acharya Pramod Krishnam

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 10 (ANI): After the Manipur government declined Congress' request to hold the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Imphal, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam said that Rahul Gandhi does not need any permission to conduct a Yatra in this country and termed this decision as 'injustice'.
Calling Rahul Gandhi as a great 'Tapasvi' (devotee), Acharya Pramod Krishnam said that the Manipur government cannot stop the Yatra of a Tapasvi.
"Rahul Gandhi does not need any permission to conduct a yatra in this country. He is a flagbearer of peace and wants to take out Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra after Bharat Jodo Yatra. He is a great 'tapasvi'. Manipur Government won't permit the Yatra of 'tapasvi'? This will be a great disaster. This is injustice. We will raise our voices against it. The BJP wants Rahul Gandhi to not go anywhere. If the BJP is scared of any leader, it is Rahul Gandhi," he told ANI.
In a press conference, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Wednesday said "We got information that the Government of Manipur declined (our request) to hold the yatra in Palace Ground, Imphal. When we are starting a yatra from East to West, how can we avoid Manipur? Then what message we are giving to the people of the country? We need to start the yatra from Manipur only. We are now going to start Yatra in Manipur from another location. Details will be announced later."
Further, responding to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's 'Nautanki' remark on Ram Mandir, the Congress leader said that the biggest drama is the TMC.
"I think the biggest 'nautanki' is TMC. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says that Mamata Didi and BJP are colluding. So, I think all political parties have become drama theatres. Even if you do drama, do it for real," he said.
Acharya Pramod Krishnam also took a dig at Samajwadi Party Leader Swami Prasad Maurya, saying that party chief Akhilesh Yadav is scared of Maurya.
"The story of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Swami Prasad Maurya is like that of Vikram-Betaal. The truth is that Akhilesh Yadav is scared of Swami Prasad Maurya. He knows that Maurya is a BJP person and that his statements are harming his party (SP) and finishing it every day. He knows that if Swami Prasad Maurya keeps speaking like this, nobody can stop the BJP from coming to power in Uttar Pradesh. Still, I don't understand his helplessness. This will prove to be lethal for SP. If BJP has to be challenged, if Narendra Modi has to be challenged in 2024 elections, they will have to come under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi," he asserted. (ANI)