Mayawati flays Congress over its proposed 'Bharat Dojo Yatra'

Lucknow: BSP supremo Mayawati on Friday hit out at the Congress over its proposed "Bharat Dojo Yatra," calling it a "mockery" of those struggling with poverty and said politicisation of sports is harmful.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday shared a video of one of the martial arts sessions held at campsites of his east to west Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra earlier this year, and said a "Bharat Dojo Yatra" is coming soon.

In a post on X, Mayawati said, "No one denies the importance of Dojo and other sports for people with full stomachs, but what about the crores of families struggling with poverty, unemployment, inflation and backwardness, who are forced to work hard day and night to feed themselves. Isn't 'Bharat Dojo Yatra' a mockery of them?"

1. पेट भरे लोगों के लिए दोजा व अन्य खेलकूद के महत्व से किसी को इंकार नहीं, लेकिन गरीबी, बेरोजगारी, महंगाई व पिछड़ेपन आदि के त्रस्त जीवन से जूझ रहे उन करोड़ों परिवारों का क्या जो पेट पालने हेतु दिन-रात कमरतोड़ मेहनत को मजबूर हैं। ’भारत डोजो यात्रा’ क्या उनका उपहास नहीं? 1/3

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) August 30, 2024

Dojo broadly refers to a training hall or school for martial arts.

"The central and state governments want to make crores of poor and hardworking people of the country sing 'bhajans' on empty stomachs to cover up their failure to provide them with a proper and respectable livelihood, but how can the public tolerate the same anti-people attitude of the opposition Congress?" she added.

In the same post, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "The Congress and its INDI Alliance increased their strength by taking votes of SC, ST and OBC in the name of saving reservation and the Constitution, but is it right to forget their hunger and agony and adopt this cruel attitude towards them when their time is over".

"Politicisation of sports is harmful, which cannot be tolerated anymore," she stressed.