Rahul Gandhi, the senior leader of the Congress, urged the country’s youth on Thursday to face all challenges head-on and to abstain from inciting animosity that would split the country apart.

When questioned about his advice for the nation’s younger generation, he firmly said, “Daro mat (don’t be frightened). The former Congress president made his comments while on his statewide Bharat Jodo Yatra in Nanded, Maharashtra.

Mr. Gandhi made it clear that he wasn’t referring to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the party that inspired the current BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Never let fear control your life. You won’t dislike someone if you have no fear. Eliminate fear from your hearts and serve the nation, “said he. Mr.  Gandhi continued, “Spread love and fraternity, not animosity.”

“You cannot demonstrate your love for the nation by splitting it. It is not being a patriot to salute the national flag on one side while forcing brothers to battle one another on the other. This undermines the country “added said.

The national government, which is currently governed by the BJP, was also criticised by the Congress politician for demonetizing high-value currency notes in 2016 and implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Mr. Gandhi claimed that his protest on foot was intended to protest the BJP’s practises of “creating fear and hatred,” which were publicised in the media.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which began on September 8 in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari, will travel 3,750 miles before coming to an end in Srinagar in January 2023. On Monday night, the marchers crossed into Maharashtra on foot.

Sushant Singh from Bollywood accompanied Mr. Gandhi during his foot march in Nanded on Thursday. They were both members of Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, which was an ally of the Congress in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi administration in Maharashtra.