Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday scoffed at the criticism of his alleged mistreatment of party workers following a viral video capturing his interaction with a puppy and its owner during Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jharkhand.

In the footage widely shared on social media, Rahul Gandhi was seen attempting to feed biscuits to a puppy. However, the puppy appeared hesitant and refused the treat, prompting Gandhi to give the biscuits back to one of the supporters present there.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya also posted the video on X claiming that the Congress leader offered the same biscuits to party workers after they were rejected by the puppy.

“If a party whose president and crown prince treats its party workers like dogs, then it is natural for such a party to disappear,” Malviya said.

When asked about the controversy at a press conference, Rahul Gandhi said, “I called the dog and the owner. The dog was nervous, shivering and when I tried to feed it, the dog got scared. So I gave biscuits to the dog’s owner and the dog ate them from his hand.”

“I don’t understand what’s the issue with it,” he added.

Gandhi also dismissed the allegations that the man accompanying the puppy was a Congress worker.

“No, where was he a Congress worker? I don’t understand BJP’s obsession with dogs,” he remarked.

Gandhi launched a fresh attack on the BJP and its ideological fountainhead Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), accusing them of “spreading hatred and violence” in the country.

Addressing a gathering during his Yatra in Jharkhand’s Khunti, the Congress leader said, “We felt that the BJP and the RSS have spread hatred and violence in the country…So I thought of coming between you all, uniting and addressing your issues.”

Later at the press conference, Gandhi reiterated his demand for a nationwide caste census.

The Congress leader has embarked on the Yatra ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The yatra will cover over 6,700 kilometres over 67 days, traversing through 110 districts. It will cover a distance of 6,713 km, straddling 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly segments and covering 110 districts.

The yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 20, after 67 days.