Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Mysuru district on Saturday, is scheduled to visit the Khadi Gramudyog Centre at Badanavalu in Nanjangud on Sunday for Gandhi Jayanti.
Mr. Gandhi is scheduled to drive from Thandavapura, where his padayatra concluded on Saturday, early on Sunday morning to reach the Khadi Gramudyog Centre at Badanavalu, which was also visited by Mahatma Gandhi in 1927. He is also scheduled to visit Srikanteshwara Temple in Nanjangud later in the day on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the second day of Karnataka leg of Bharat Jodo yatra from Tondavadi Gate in Gundlupet, which was scheduled to start at 6.30 a.m., was delayed due to rains. “The rains arrived after a gap of 15 days and will benefit farmers. This is exactly what the Yatra is for, directly or indirectly!”, tweeted Jairam Ramesh, the Congress party’s General Secretary in charge of Communications.
The padayatra proceeded amid a light drizzle before entering Mysuru district and taking a break at Kalale Gate, where Mr. Gandhi had an interaction with intellectuals, writers, poets and artistes. “What came out of the interaction was that there is an intolerance in the Government of India’s ideology towards anybody, who questions them and shows dissent. Freedom of expression is very implicit part of the Constitution, but there is total visible active intolerance towards anybody, who questions the Government,” said Pawan Khera, All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Chairperson of Media and Publicity Department, while addressing reporters at Kalale Gate.
The padayatra resumed from Kalale Gate and reached Chikkayyana Chatra Gate in Thandavapura on the Mysuru-Nanjangud highway in the evening. After visiting the Khadi Gramudyog Centre at Badanavalu and Srikanteshwara Temple in Nanjangud, Mr. Gandhi will resume his padayatra from Kadakola junction in the highway around 2.30 p.m. and reach the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard at Bandipalya on the outskirts of Mysuru in the evening.
Traffic diversion
Meanwhile, the Mysuru district police has announced that it will divert all vehicles headed towards Chamarajanagar and Gundlupet from Mysuru through an alternative route between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. on October 2. The vehicles proceeding to Chamarajanagar and Gundlupet will have to take a deviation from the Ring Road junction towards Varuna, Megalapura, T Narsipura, Mugur, Santhemarahalli and Chamarajanagar before proceeding towards Gundlupet.
Similarly, the Mysuru City police has also imposed certain traffic restrictions in the city on October 3 when Mr. Gandhi sets out on his padayatra from Mysuru city towards Srirangapatna. A statement issued by the Mysuru City Police said the stretch from Hardinge Circle, Albert Victor Road, Old Statue Circle, Ashoka Road, Nehru Circle, Dr. Rajkumar Circle, Tipu Circle, LIC office junction, Bannimantap Road, Old Toll Gate junction and Manipal Hospital junction will be out of bounds for the public between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on October 3
