Massive crowds greet top Congress leaders at Gundlupet in Karnataka

Gundlupet: It was a red letter-day for Karnataka Congressmen as former AICC President Rahul Gandhi’s Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ entered the State from Kerala via Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district this morning.

Festive atmosphere prevailed in the border town as Congress leader entered Karnataka after crossing Kerala. Banners, flex boards, flowers, party flags, buntings and cut-outs and welcome arches were all over the place to welcome the leader.

Almost all the State leaders including former CM Siddharamaiah and KPCC Chief D.K. Shivakumar, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council B.K. Hariprasad, besides AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala and KPCC Working President R. Dhruvanarayan welcomed Rahul.

Rahul Gandhi arrived by road from Gudalur near the State’s border at about 8.30 am following which he proceeded to the grounds opposite Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhavan in Gundlupet, where he addressed a rally. From Gundlupet, the rally will move towards Begur and will subsequently enter Mysuru.

In his address, Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the BJP Government at the Centre and Prime Minister Modi for giving a go by to democratic principles.

Maintaining that Government and public institutions and as well as the media were under the control of the ruling BJP, he said that he has taken out the yatra in order to reach out to the people, as he found no other way to interact with the people and hear their problems, with the Government muzzling dissenting voices.

Asserting that the rally was not limited just to speeches, he said it is aimed to hear the people’s grievances and problems, amidst rampant corruption, rising unemployment, spiralling prices, social unrest and communal disharmony in the country.

Projecting unity

Strongly opposing the Government policy of privatising PSUs, he contended that the constitution and democracy are under severe threat from the BJP. Rahul claimed only Congress could unite the country. Rahul earlier inaugurated the rally by beating the drum (Nagari), holding the hands of Shivakumar and Siddharamaiah as if to project unity amidst simmering discontentment.

The rally commenced with the playing of ‘Vande Mataram’, following which National Flag was presented to Rahul Gandhi. He later handed it over to Shivakumar who in turn, passed it on to Congress Seva Dal State President Ramachandrappa.

During the rally, renowned writer Devanur Mahadeva presented a copy of the Indian Constitution to Rahul Gandhi and appealed to him to continue working for ‘saving   democratic institutions and the Constitution.’

As Rahul Gandhi arrived at Gundlupet, a small aircraft attached with a helium-filled balloon carrying a picture of the Congress party flag and a banner that carried the message ‘NSUI welcomes Rahul Gandhi’, flew all over the town.

After the rally, Rahul resumed his padayatra to Shaneshwara Temple, which is about 4 km from the town and rested for some time, during which he interacted with Soliga community members and family members of COVID victims who died for want of oxygen at Chamarajanagar District Hospital in May last year.

Other leaders who were part of the rally were Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh, former CM Veerappa Moily, leaders M.B. Patil, Eshwar Khandre, Dr. G. Parameshwar, R.V. Deshpande, Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, MLAs R. Narendra and Puttarangashetty, former MLAs from Chamarajanagar district A.R. Krishnamurthy, Geetha Mahadevaprasad, S. Balaraj and Jayanna, local Congress leader Ganesh Prasad and a host of other leaders.

Rahul had set off his 3,500-km Yatra on Sept. 10. The rally is expected to enter Mysuru city on Oct. 3. From Mysuru, the yatra will traverse through several districts of the State, before culminating at Ballari on Oct. 19 from where it will enter Andhra Pradesh.