Speaking at the flag-off, Javadekar blamed the UPA government for the price-hike and claimed that the NDA, under the leadership of Lal Krishna Advani, would form the next government at the Centre. “The BJP-INLD alliance will win all the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state,” he claimed.

National convener of the BJP’s minority cell, Shahnawaz Hussain, countered the “Congress’ repeated allegation” of the BJP being anti-Muslim and said that Muslims were “safer than ever before” during the NDA rule. “The Yatra will be turned into a Jan Andolan like the one in 1987, held under the leadership of former Haryana CM Devi Lal,” he added.

The yatra has assumed greater significance for the INLD as its general secretary, Ajay Chautala, has made his intentions to contest from the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Parliamentary constituency quite clear.