Actors paid to walk with Rahul Gandhi during Yatra, claims BJP; Cong says 'bogus'

New Delhi, Nov 22: Several BJP leaders on Tuesday alleged that actors are paid to walk with Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Yatra and have shared a WhatsApp forward to back their claim.

The WhatsApp forward calls for the participation of actors in Madhya Pradesh. It said the actors can choose the time slot to walk with Rahul Gandhi for 15 minutes in November.

"Other than refurbishing Rahul Gandhi's credential as a leader, all that his Yatra has achieved is enable rise of a self serving coterie around him, which is doing more harm by this kind of paid PR. But who are these people willing to associate with Rahul even for some money?" Amit Malviya tweeted.

Maharashtra Congress leader Sachin Sawant rubbished the allegations citing unnamed WhatsApp forward and said this shows how desperately the BJP was trying to the discredit the yatra.

"Proof? Clearly shows how desperately bjp is trying to discredit the yatra. Such bogus WhatsApp images are being shown as proofs. No name, no numbers. It is bjp which masters the art of arm- twisting celebrities to portray artificial support for them not congress," tweeted Sawant.

"Don't we remember tweets of celebrities on petrol diesel rates during UPA govt & during farmers' protest? Everyone knows that it takes courage to stand against autocratic & divisive bjp agenda," he said.

"BJP'S attempt to belittle their honesty and malign their characters only shows how correct the stand of artists is. Today's statement of PM against Bharat Joda Yatra & such malicious propaganda from bjp only reaffirms our resolve and proves that the yatra is on the right track," the Congress leader said.

The controversy erupted after veteran actor Amol Palekar and his wife, writer-filmmaker Sandhya Gokhale participated in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra's Buldhana district here on Sunday.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra, a mass contact initiative of the Congress, began on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.