The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi entered Bodarli village in Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur district from neighbouring Maharashtra on Wednesday morning. After mother Sonia Gandhi, now sister and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is expected to join the Yatra.
Priyanka and her family members will reach Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday evening hours after the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by her brother Rahul Gandhi enters the state. She will participate in the Yatra between Burhanpur and Indore on November 24 and 25, MP Congress president Kamal Nath said.
On the occasion, Gandhi said their campaign was against hatred, violence and fear being spread in society. A large number of Congressmen carrying the tricolour in their hands reached Bodarli to join the foot march.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole handed over the tricolour to Madhya Pradesh party chief Kamal Nath to formally launch the 12-day-long yatra in the central state, where it will cover a distance of 380 km before entering Rajasthan.
Bodarli, a village with a population of nearly 6,000, was decorated with banana leaves as the region is known for the cultivation of the fruit.
Folk artists welcomed the yatra on its arrival in Madhya Pradesh.
On the occasion, Gandhi said, “This yatra is against hatred, violence and fear being spread in the country. We started the Bharat Jodo Yatra by taking the tricolour in our hands from Kanyakumari. Nobody can stop this tricolour from reaching Srinagar.”
Targeting the central government on the issues of unemployment and inflation, Gandhi alleged, “The BJP first spreads fear in the minds of youth, farmers and labourers and when it sets in, they convert it into violence.”
He also claimed that industries, airports and seaports were in the hands of only three-four industrialists in the country. Even the Railways is also going into their hands, he added. “This is an India of injustice and we don't want such an India,” Gandhi said.
“The money going out of the pockets of the common man for purchasing costly petrol and cooking gas is going into the pockets of these three-four industrialists,” he claimed.
Welcoming the yatra in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath claimed it will be most successful in the state.
Senior Congress leaders including former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, Leader of Opposition in the MP Assembly Govind Singh, former union ministers Suresh Pachouri and Arun Yadav among others were present on the occasion.
With PTI inputs
