Poonam Kaur clarifies why Rahul Gandhi held her hand during Bharat Jodo Yatra

Actor Poonam Kaur and students belonging to the Osmania University joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra from Dharmapur in Mahabubnagar town in Telangana on Saturday.

Soon after that, pictures of Gandhi holding Poonam's hand during the foot march went viral on social media, with some BJP leaders and supporters making comments on it.

BJP's Priti Gandhi posted it to Twitter with a mocking caption that read, "Following the footsteps of his great grandfather!!" The reference here was apparently to India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.


Soon Congress functionaries including Poonam hit out at the posts and against the "mindset" that generated them. Poonam clarified that Gandhi caught her by the hand after she tripped and nearly fell.

"This is absolutely demeaning of you, remember prime minister spoke about #narishakti - I almost slipped and toppled that’s how sir held my hand. His concern , respect and protective nature towards woman is something which touched my heart," the actor tweeted

Gandhi's foot march completed 23.3 km on Friday, before halting for the day at Dharmapur for the night. The yatra will cover 19 Assembly and 7 Parliamentary constituencies spanning a total distance of 375 km in the state, before entering Maharashtra on November 7.

The yatra will take a one-day break on November 4. Rahul Gandhi will meet intellectuals, leaders of various communities, including personalities from the sporting, business and entertainment sectors during the party campaign in the southern state. He will also visit prayer halls, mosques and temples across Telangana, and will offer prayers.

FAQ

Who is Poonam Kaur?
Indian actress and model Poonam Kaur usually acts in Telugu and Tamil movies. She is a Congress Party member and a politician who works out of Telangana.

What is Bharat Jodo Yatra ?
The Indian National Congress initiated the current nationwide movement known as the Bharat Jodo Yatra.