SrinagarCongress leader KC Venugopal on Tuesday said opposition leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, will join the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the Valley next year. The Congress leader’s announcement comes after he met Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in connection with the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi. “NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and CPM leader MY Tarigami will join the yatra,” Venugopal said. He termed the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra as a ‘national padayatra’.
Earlier on Monday, Mehbooba Mufti, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and head of the Peoples Democratic Party, praised the Bharat Jodo Yatra of the Congress. Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mufti said that during the last 8 years the new government has shaken all the foundations of this country and weakened it, but Rahul Gandhi is out to save the country’s foundations. I salute Rahul Gandhi for starting this mass campaign to save the country’s foundation, culture and brotherhood. He has gone to unite this country, to strengthen the heritage of this country.
Hitting out at the BJP for calling the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra amid a rise in COVID cases globally, Venugopal said, “We are very concerned about the health of the people of this country as well as the COVID situation. This is the whole drama. (of Covid spread) India Jodo made to stop travel.” Flights are coming from China, no problem. There is no national level Covid protocol recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Prime Minister is attending public meetings and all other government programs are happening everywhere… there is no problem.”
Recently, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote a letter to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, asking them to strictly follow the Covid guidelines during the yatra. “Use of mask-sanitiser should be implemented. Only those with vaccinations should participate,” the health minister said in the letter on Tuesday.
Reacting to this, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the government was making excuses to stop the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. To stop this yatra,” Rahul said while addressing a rally in Haryana’s Nuh district on Thursday.