The Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed on Tuesday after a gap of a year, with several leaders joining the milling crowd and Rahul Gandhi, described by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a “warrior” who is fighting the government. are not afraid of the power of
The yatra took a nine-day break on 24 December. The second leg of the yatra began this morning from Kashmere Gate area of the national capital and passed through the busy streets of Delhi.
Police had made elaborate arrangements amid deployment of heavy police force following the alleged lapse in security for Rahul Gandhi when the Congress entered the national capital on December 24.
The yatra started at 10 am from Hanuman Mandir at Kashmere Gate and passed through the busy Outer Ring Road. Traffic came to a standstill in many parts of the city on the Ring Road.
Party workers lined up on both sides of the road along the Ring Road in Delhi, with top leaders giving a rousing welcome to the yatra. After this the yatra reached Ghaziabad’s Loni border where Rahul Gandhi Leaders and activists including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra welcomed.
AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, party MP Pramod Tiwari, Delhi Congress chief Anil Kumar Chowdhary and other Congress leaders like Ambika Soni and Abhishek Dutt were among those who joined the yatra in Delhi. Former Congress member and now Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also joined Rahul Gandhi.
The party’s Uttar Pradesh Congress chief and former MP Brijlal Khabri and CLP leader in Uttar Pradesh Aradhana Mishra Loni were among those present at the border. Later, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah also joined in Ghaziabad.
Former RAW chief Amarjeet Singh Dulat met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi before reaching the Uttar Pradesh border.
Priyanka Vadra welcomed her brother in the presence of leaders of Uttar Pradesh Congress and Delhi Congress. She is also AICC General Secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh.
The yatra flag was handed over to the state leaders on a specially erected stage where the brother-sister bonding was on full display as Rahul Gandhi hugged Priyanka Vadra and kissed her on the cheek.
Vadra claimed that “big industrialists like Adani and Ambani may have bought many politicians, PSUs and media”, but “they have not been able to buy my brother and will never be able to buy”.
People say that Rahul Gandhi does not feel cold even in winter, it is because “he is wearing the shield of truth,” the Congress leader said.
Rahul Gandhi, who is constantly seen wearing a white T-shirt even in the bitter cold, has found the media and politicians alike puzzled as to why he does not feel cold.
Vadra said he was proud to welcome the yatra, which entered Uttar Pradesh after covering a distance of 3,000 km from Kanyakumari.
“Look at my big brother, I am most proud of you. Because the establishment put all its pressure. The government spent thousands of crores to tarnish his image.
“But, he did not deviate from the path of truth. Agencies were deployed but he did not feel scared as he is a warrior,” she said amid thunderous applause at the Loni border.
Adani ji, Ambani ji bought big leaders, bought all PSUs, media, but they could not buy my brother and will never be able to buy. I’m so proud of him and everyone else,” she also said.
He said Rahul has opened a ‘shop’ to spread love in the ‘market of hate’ and is marching to unite people.
“I urge everyone to open a franchise of this ‘mohabbat ki dukaan’ (shop to spread love) in Uttar Pradesh,” she said.
Congress West Uttar Pradesh president Naseemuddin Siddiqui told PTI that while continuing the yatra from Loni border, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi traveled seven kilometers on foot and then returned to Delhi.
He said both would resume the journey from Baghpat on Wednesday morning as per schedule.
Later in a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, “My salutations to the holy land of Uttar Pradesh, the birthplace of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb. Its history and sacrifices are proof of its patriotism, and it can set new examples of revolution. Join the journey.
“The yatra has been a huge success and we have received a good response from the public,” he added.
Senior Congress leader Jai Prakash Agarwal said that the yatra is echoing the voice of the citizens.
He is talking and listening to the problems of the common man. So far, the trip has been very successful. We have received an overwhelming response,” he said.
The yatra will travel through Uttar Pradesh for two days and enter Haryana’s Panipat by Thursday evening. On Tuesday, the first night will stay at Mavikala in Baghpat.
Passing through Punjab and one day Himachal Pradesh, the yatra will enter Jammu and Kashmir.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which began on September 7 from Kanyakumari, will conclude on January 30 in Srinagar with the unfurling of the national flag by Rahul Gandhi.
The yatra has so far covered a distance of 3,122 kilometers from Gandhi Mandapam in Kanyakumari to Red Fort in Delhi.
In 108 days, the yatra has covered 49 districts in nine states and one union territory – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi.
The Congress said that so far, 87 meetings of 30-40 minutes have been held with different groups, usually consisting of 20-30 people in each group.
These groups raise various issues of the areas and states we are passing through and there have been more than 200 planned walks with small groups of 4-5 people, ranging from celebrities to intellectuals, activists to ex-servicemen Including local children.
To deliver the message of the Yatra, there have been 95 corner meetings, where Rahul Gandhi gives a short speech at the end of the day about the message of the Yatra.
Apart from this, 10 big public meetings have been held, in which lakhs of people have participated. So far nine press conferences have also been held, the last one was held in Delhi on 31st December.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)