The Congress on Thursday appealed to all Opposition parties and civil society groups who believe that the country’s democracy is in peril to join its Bharat Jodo Yatra. The party also announced, that it may hold the yatra earlier than the schedule announced post the Udaipur conference.
After a meeting of Presidents of all State units, heads of frontal organisations of the party and other officer bearers that went on for two hours, party General Secretary Jairam Ramesh and senior leader Digivijay Singh, who chairs the coordination committee for the yatra briefed presspersons.
Mr. Ramesh said, “It had been announced in the Nav Sankalp in the Udaipur Chintan Shivir that the Bharat Jodo Yatra will begin on October 2nd, 2022. However, given the repeated and intensifying attacks on our democracy, our country’s Constitution, the nation’s institutions and the social fabric of our society by the Modi Sarkar and the BJP, the Congress party is now exploring the possibility of starting the Bharat Jodo Yatra earlier.”
Will Sonia or Rahul lead the yatra?
The Bharat Jodo Yatra will cover a distance of around 3,500 kms from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and go through about 12 States and two Union Territories. It will go on for nearly 150 days. Both Mr. Singh and Mr. Ramesh were non-committal to the questions on whether Rahul Gandhi or the present President Sonia Gandhi will lead the yatra. To repeated questions, Mr. Singh, said, that all members of the party will participate in the yatra.
Importantly, Mr. Singh said, that though it is essentially a Congress programme, the idea is to unite all anti-BJP forces, thus all political parties and civil society members are welcome to join.
“We are appealing to like-minded political parties, civil society groups, business and professional associations, every Indian who is committed to the protection, preservation and promotion of the values anchored in our country’s freedom movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi and every Indian who is dedicated to fighting the politics of hatred, bigotry and polarisation is welcome,” Mr. Singh said.
He also added that the Congress will be talking to the farmer’s groups, asking them to join the yatra too.
