Pandavapura: AICC Acting President Sonia Gandhi joined the Congress Party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra led by her son Rahul Gandhi in Pandavapura taluk as the Yatra resumed in Karnataka this morning after a two-day break on account of Dasara festivities.
Today is the Yatra’s fifth day of the Karnataka leg.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, aimed at uniting the country, was set off from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu last month and the Yatra had entered Karnataka from Kerala via Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district on Sept. 30.
The padayatra re-started this morning from Bellale village in Pandavapura taluk on Pandavapura-Nagamangala road under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi who returned from a resort near Kabini in H.D. Kote taluk at about 8 am where he stayed with his mother Sonia Gandhi for two days, taking a break-off due to Dasara festivities.
Rahul walked briskly as usual and he was accompanied by Congress stalwarts and leaders such as Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, B.K. Hariprasad, H.K. Patil, Cheluvarayaswamy, P.M. Narendraswamy, Priyank Kharge and Mandya District Congress President C.D. Gangadhar. Though KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar and Opposition leader Siddharamaiah were not part when the Yatra resumed from Bellale, they joined it some time later.
Sonia Gandhi, who arrived by car at Melukote hill shrine this morning, performed puja at the famed Cheluvarayaswamy temple and joined the Yatra at Manikyanahalli. Sonia walked for a kilometre and later travelled in her car and stopped at Jakkanahalli Cross, where she, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders had tea at a Congress party worker’s house. She continued her journey in the car and re-joined the Yatra at Kharagya village near Cheenya and walked for some distance. After a brief stop for some rest midway, the Yatra continued its journey and will camp for the night at Brahmadevarahalli in Nagamangala taluk.
All along the Yatra, thousands of people were seen along the road, with women performing arati to Sonia, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders at villages.
During his march, Rahul interacted with the gathering and heard their grievances and livelihood issues.
Although the Yatra passed off smoothly under tight Police security by Mandya District Police, it was slightly marred by alleged assault by the Police on five mediapersons who were covering the Yatra at Jakkanahalli Cross. Following the assault, the mediapersons registered their protest by stopping the coverage.
Thereafter, top Congress leaders, led by KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar were holding talks with mediapersons as an attempt to persuade them, when we went to the Press. Mandya SP Yatish too arrived at the spot and assured of action if the Police personnel were found guilty.
This post was published on October 6, 2022 6:44 pm