Bharat Jodo’s success visible in North after starting in South: Kanhaiya Kumar

Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been walking with Rahul Gandhi in the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ for over 3,000 kms from Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari, today said that the momentum the march gained in the South was being replicated in the North as well. Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo yatra entered Delhi today amid much fanfare.

“When we started from Kanyakumari our detractors raised questions over whether this yatra will be successful or not. But after 108 days we are here in Delhi. When we started out in the South everyone said that no one in the North would join us. But people have turned out in large numbers. I wouldn’t call this a crowd. These are the citizens of the country. This yatra is not by a single party, it is for the entire country,” he said in an exclusive chat with The New Indian. 

Kumar contested from Begusarai on Communist Party of India’s ticket for the 2019 Indian general election and lost to Giriraj Singh of Bharatiya Janata Party by 422,217 votes.  He joined Indian National Congress on 28 September 2021

Gandhi’s sartorial choice in Delhi’s freezing weather became talk of the town as well. Gandhi’s half-sleeve T-shirt caught everyone’s attention as he walked without any winter wear.

The grand old party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, entered Delhi early this morning from Haryana’s Faridabad amid appeals by the union Health Minister to follow Covid protocols.

Top party leaders, including former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja, and Randeep Surjewala joined in.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandviya has written to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, urging him to postpone his Bharat Jodo Yatra amid the health risk posed by the emergence of a new Covid variant from China and the US.

According to the letter, parliamentarians PP Chowdhary, Nihal Chand and Devji Patel had raised concerns over the possibility of the spread of Covid-19 cases due to the yatra, being led by Gandhi.

In his letter, Mandviya said, “Covid guidelines should be strictly followed in the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan, masks and sanitisers should be used and it should be ensured that only vaccinated individuals take part in this yatra.”

“Yatris should be isolated before and after joining the journey. If it is not possible to follow the above Covid protocols, I request you to postpone the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the interest of the country,” wrote the Union health minister.

Congress’ Bharat Jodota Yatra started from Kanyakumari on September 7. After covering a distance of more than 3000 kilometres, it will reach Delhi on December 24 from Rajasthan. It will take a 9-day break in Delhi before heading towards the next destination – Sonali Khurd in Haryana on January 3. The yatra, planned to pass through 12 states and 2 union territories over the course of five months, will culminate in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a parliamentary party meeting this week, Sonia Gandhi hailed the Bharat Jodo Yatra as “a matter of pride”.

“It is a unique outreach that seeks to take the message of the Congress Party directly to the people and, in return, gain a first-hand understanding of their problems and aspirations.  In the South and in the North; in cities, towns and villages; in the cold, rain and heat; lakhs of men, women and children have joined the Yatra,” she said.

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