From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday appealed to the people from all walks of life to join its 5-month long Bharat Jodo Yatra, a padyatra taking off from Kanyakumari on Wednesday with its former President Rahul Gandhi(52) in the lead as the first Bharat Padyatri.
It issued an open invitation to all to join and walk together, stressing that “India belongs to all of us and ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is for all.”
Its general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stressed in her Facebook post that this is a positive exercise undertaken by the Congress to unite the people of the country to come together and strehgthen the nation.
She appealed to the people to join this massive padyatra of 3,500 km whenever it passes through their cities, towns or villages, at least for an hour to express solidarity in facing all problems that have heaped upon them by the Modi government.
She said all the details of the Yatra, its route and registration can be accessed by the people from its website www.bharatjodoyatra.in.
The website also carries the list of the Bharat Padyatris who will walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir over the course of 150 days. There are 119 such Padyatris who have enrolled for completing the full journey on feet. Females among them account for 29.
Most of the Padyatris are in their 30s and 40s. There are also five in their fifties, topping the list is Vijendra Singh Malawat (58) from Rajasthan and Vijay Kumar Shatri (56) from Jammu and Kashmir.
The yatra is to pass through 12 states, culminating in Jammu and Kashmir sometime in February. Senior leaders of the Congress will actively participate in the yatra and those unable to join will spread its message by organising events and participating in the online campaigns.
“People from all walks of life will join the Yatra at various points, and march together. It will be a celebration of India’s unity, a festival of hope that will come alive with musical programs and contests that anyone can participate in,” the website said.
