Jairam Ramesh recalls Bharat Jodo Yatra, says transformative milestone in Indian politics

New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday commemorated the third anniversary of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, describing it as a “transformative milestone” in Indian politics.

Taking to the social media platform X, Ramesh wrote, “The Bharat Jodo Yatra began three years ago today at Kanyakumari, with a visit to the Swami Vivekananda rock memorial and other iconic places and finally a public meeting.”

“The Bharat Jodo Yatra was undertaken to highlight the three pressing and worrying public issues of widening economic inequalities, deepening social polarisation, and growing political authoritarianism. It was a 4,000 km padyatra undertaken by @RahulGandhi and over 200 Bharat Yatris on foot from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. It went on for over 145 days, covering 12 states and 2 UTs. The Yatra was a transformative milestone in our country's politics. It continues to resonate and reverberate,” he added.

According to the Congress party, the movement was intended to unite the country against the "divisive politics" of the BJP-led Government of India. The Yatra was launched by Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on September 7, 2022. The foot march saw Rahul Gandhi walk more than 4,000 km over 145 days.

During the course of the Yatra, Gandhi addressed many large public meetings, street-corner gatherings, and press conferences.

The Yatra drew widespread participation from citizens across different sections of society.

Several well-known film and television personalities, including Kamal Haasan, Pooja Bhatt, Riya Sen, and Swara Bhasker, joined the march at various locations.

The initiative also witnessed support from opposition leaders such as Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Shiv Sena(UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut, as well as NCP(SP) leader Supriya Sule.

Congress leaders have maintained that the Bharat Jodo Yatra was not just a political exercise but a people’s movement aimed at uniting citizens and raising awareness on issues of inequality, communal harmony, and democratic values.

--IANS

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