While Congress staff looked upbeat even in the freezing cold of Delhi, BJP Minister Anurag Thakur reminded the grand old party of another surge in the global pandemic, advising: mask”.
Published Date – Sat 24 Dec 22 02:15pm
New Delhi: As Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the capital on Saturday, party leader Jairam Ramesh slammed senior BJP leaders such as Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh, saying “a strong Congress will benefit Gadkari Ji and Rajnath Singh” .
While Congress staff looked upbeat even in the freezing cold of Delhi, BJP Minister Anurag Thakur reminded the grand old party of another surge in the global pandemic, advising: mask”.
Standing alongside Congressman Rahul Gandhi during the foot march, the party’s general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh said, “The outcome of Bharat Jodo Yatra will be a ‘Majboot Congress’ (strong Congress), a strong Congress will Good for Gadkari Ji and Rajnath Singh.” Congressman Rahul Gandhi’s mass liaison campaign, Bharat Jodo Yatra, arrived in the capital on Saturday morning. Rahul Gandhi’s mother, Sonia Gandhi, is taking part in the pilgrimage for the first time since it began on September 7. His sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the party general secretary, and her husband, Robert Vadra, also joined. This will be the last day of this phase of yatra as there will be 9 days of rest until next year.
Enter Delhi on foot from Haryana after starting padayatra from NHPC metro station in Faridabad around 6 am.
Bharat Jodo Yatra is scheduled to reach the Red Fort around 4:30 pm. Pilgrims will also visit Rajghat and pay their respects to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
Congress leader Pavan Hera had earlier claimed that several MPs from different parties would be accompanying Bharat Jodo Yatra today.
On the question of joining Bharat Jodo’s list of MPs, Jairam Ramesh told ANI that all party leaders have been invited to join the Yatra.
“We have invited all party leaders to join Bharat Jodo. Whoever wants to come, Nitin Gadkari wants to come, he welcomes it, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also wants to come, he also welcomes it. (Former vice) president Venkaiah Naidu and (former president) Ram Nath Kovind were also welcomed,” he said.
Jairam Ramesh also revealed that the party is considering another mass engagement campaign, ‘Haath se Haath Jodo’, starting on January 26.
“Thereafter, the party will carry out ‘Haath se Haath Jodo’ from 26th January to 26th March, carrying the message of Bharat Jodo Yatra to every stall and every neighbourhood, and the success of the Yatra in 108 days will also be Spread to every stall and block,” the Congress leader told ANI.
The center has issued warning notes to the yatra amid rising Covid cases across the country.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leader and federal minister also launched an attack on the Congress party, saying that the number of new crown cases is rising, but the Congress party only cares about one family.
“Coronavirus cases are increasing in China, South Korea and Japan, but Congress is only bothered about one family. Time to follow Covid protocol. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, he or others who have tested positive in Himachal Pradesh Congress leaders that CM has been in contact with, are they quarantined or tested?” Thakur said on Saturday.
Earlier on Friday, Delhi Police issued a travel advisory advising residents of route changes and traffic diversions to cater for Bharat Jodo Yatra’s Delhi itinerary.
“In view of the Indian National Congress Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi on 24th December 2022, traffic changes have been made on several routes. Citizens are asked to avoid affected roads and make maximum use of public transport,” Delhi said the traffic police.
So far, the Yatra which started from Kanyakumari on September 7 has covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan states and parts of Maharashtra and Haryana.
The Congress party claimed it was the longest march by any Indian politician in Indian history.
Through this pilgrimage, Rahul Gandhi aimed to mobilize party cadres and unite the public against the BJP’s “politics of domestic division”.
