New Delhi/IBNS: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Thursday accused the Centre of using Covid-19 protocols as an excuse to halt his pan-India foot march—Bharat Jodo Yatra.

He made the allegation hours after Congress’s communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh suggested that the Centre’s sudden action regarding a Covid surge across the country is a ruse to obstruct the campaign.

"This yatra will travel till Kashmir. Now they (the BJP) have come up with a new idea. They wrote a letter to me saying Covid is coming, so stop the yatra. Look, now excuses are being made to stop the yatra. Wear masks, stop the yatra...these are all excuse. They are scared of the strength and the truth of this country," he said while addressing the media in Haryana's Nuh.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had earlier written to Rahul Gandhi to ensure Covid "protocol" is followed in his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.

The minister had “requested” him to suspend the yatra if the Covid protocols couldn’t be followed.

"I request [Rahul Gandhi] that Covid protocol, including use of masks and sanitisers, be strictly followed during the march and only those who are vaccinated be allowed to participate," Mandaviya wrote in the letter.

"If this Covid protocol cannot be followed, then, in view of the public health emergency, and to save the country from the Covid pandemic, I request you to suspend the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in the national interest," he added.

In response to Congress’s allegation, the health minister Wednesday said, “I cannot neglect my duty of stopping potential Covid spread just because one family perhaps believes it's above the rules... No one is entitled to special treatment.”

While speaking on Covid preparedness in Parliament on Thursday, Mandaviya said his letter to Congress on Bharat Jodo Yatra was part of the government's efforts to stop a sudden surge.

“As a minister, I had to act after three MPs from Rajasthan wrote a letter questioning Bharat Jodo Yatra as several people who participated in the march there tested positive. Honourable CM of Himachal Pradesh, too, got the infection after joining the Yatra. After the MPs demanded action, I wrote to Rajasthan’s CM and the convenor of the Yatra to ensure adherence to Covid protocols," he said.

“Being the health minister of the country, it is my responsibility to contain the spread of the virus. I don’t want to go into politics but merely intend to ask people to follow protocols. But both Prime Minister and I were slammed in unspeakable language for asking some ‘special people’ to stick to the protocols.”