The party will launch the nationwide Bharat Jodo padyatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on September 7 which will be led by Rahul Gandhi and see participation of all party leaders. The 3,500 km long yatra will criss-cross through 12 states and 2 UTs. A report by Amit Agnihotri
Looking at the party’s national revival and to take on the Centre ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress has decided to hit the streets in September.
The Congress will launch the nationwide Bharat Jodo campaign on Sep 7, which will be led by Rahul Gandhi and see participation of all leaders, weeks after the party’s state units staged 75 km mini-yatras in all districts to mark 75 years of Independence.
The party will also protest against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme from August 15 across the country.
Earlier, the Congress had announced at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir held from May 13-15 that the party will launch the nationwide Kanyakumari to Kashmir padyatra on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, against the BJP’s alleged divisive politics.
The party advanced the Bharat Jodo yatra as it feels that the recent nation-wide protests over the ED summons for the Gandhi family and over issues like price rise and unemployment have charged up the party workers.
The 3,500 km long yatra will criss-cross through 12 states and 2 UTs over a span of 150 days and is expected to keep up the momentum generated over the past two months of protests.
The Congress has been alleging over the past months that the Gandhi family was being targeted by the ED after the party announced plans to launch the Bharat Jodo yatra as part of the Udaipur declaration finalised after three days of brainstorming by over 400 leaders to prepare a strategy for the 2024 national elections.
Rahul Gandhi had flagged the need for the grand old party to get into an agitation mode and go back to the people to counter the ruling BJP.
In June when Rahul was questioned by the ED, the entire Congress came out on streets. Later, when Sonia Gandhi was questioned in July, Rahul led the protests.
On August 5, when the Congress staged nationwide protests over issues like price rise and unemployment, Rahul led the march of party MPs from Parliament to the Rashtrapati Bhavan while his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led a Congress protest march to the PM’s house over price rise and unemployment issues.
