Uttarakhand: Prayer on lips, Congress leaders to set out on religious yatra to oust BJP from power

According to the programme finalised by the party, the leaders will visit more than 70 temples, half-a-dozen dargahs and several gurdwaras in different districts as part of the yatra.

Yatra convener Mantri Prasad Naithani said a one-page document has been drafted to highlight 34 issues on which the Congress will protest against the BJP government and “seek justice from the gods”.

Issues related to unemployment, education, medical facilities, and decisions like formation of the Devasthannam Shrine Board have been highlighted in the document.

According to the schedule, the yatra will start from the Uttarakhand Andolan Shaheed Sthal at Rampur Tiraha in Haridwar district, where leaders will hold the first ‘yachna sabha (prayer meet)’ in Shakambari Devi temple.

They will also hold ‘yachna sabhas’ in Roorkee Shiv Mandir, Shabir Sahab ki Dargah, Dakshprajapati temple and Har ki Pauri on the banks of Ganga the same day.

From there, over the next 16 days, the yatra will move across Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Tehri, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bagheshwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts.

“In every ‘yachna sabha’ in temples, dargahs and gurdwaras, that document will be read before god and a prayer will be made to punish BJP governments in the state and Centre for their anti-people policies and decisions. Prayers will be made to remove BJP from power — both at the state and the Centre,” Naithani said.

He said that a copy of the document will be left at every religious destination on the rally’s route. After the sabha, leaders will address local residents at each religious site. During the yatra, party leaders will move about in a modified chariot sporting the slogan: “Uttarahand bachao, desh bachao, Samvidhan bachao devyachna rath (save Uttarakhand, save the country, save the Constitution prayer rally).”

Another party leader said the yatra also served as a platform for readying grassroot workers and unifiying state leaders for the 2022 Assembly polls.