Burhanpur: Bharat Jodo Yatra is above electoral politics, says Digvijaya Singh

Burhanpur (Madhya Pradesh): Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday said his party's Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi, was not linked to electoral politics and its main objective was to "save" the Constitution and democracy in the country.

Singh is chairman of the organising committee of the 3,570 kilometre-long foot-march that started on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and is currently passing through Madhya Pradesh after completing the Maharashtra leg.

"We are not seeking votes through this yatra. There are few things that cannot be related to elections," the Rajya Sabha MP told reporters in Burhanpur district, the entry point of the unity march in the state.

The former Madhya Pradesh CM said the main aim of the mass outreach programme, which will be completed in around 150 days, was to "save" the Constitution and democracy in the country.

He strongly condemned Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's statement comparing Rahul Gandhi's looks with former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Without taking the name of Sarma, Singh said, "He is the same person who used to fall on the feet of Congress leaders (Congress netaon ke pair pakadta tha) when he was in the party." Sarma joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2015 after quitting Congress.

Answering a question, Singh said it is a misconception that Congress is unable to focus properly on the next month's Gujarat Assembly polls because of the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

"Our Gujarat unit is contesting the polls with full dedication. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and I myself went there to campaign," he said.