Rahul Gandhi on Bharat Jodo Yatra anniversary: Journey continues till hatred is eradicated, India unites

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After covering over 4,000 km across 12 states in a span of five months, Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra reached its end today. Leaders of Opposition parties like DMK, NC, PDP, CPI, RSP and IUML joined the Congress in its celebrations. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

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The day began with Rahul Gandhi unfurling the flag at a campsite in Cheshma Shahi in Srinagar. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

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Congress leader Rahul Ghandi after unfurling National Flag during the Bharat Jodo Yatra at Lal Chowk, in Srinagar, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. (PTI Photo/S. Irfan)

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Rahul was also seen indulging in a playful moment with his sister Priyanka Gandhi as the duo played with the snow in Srinagar. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

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On Sunday, Rahul was joined by Priyanka while unfurling the Tricolour at Srinagar's historic Lal Chowk. (Express Photo by Shuaib Masoodi)

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Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi shared a warm hug amidst the snow at the Congress party headquarters in Srinagar.(@INCIndia/ Twitter)

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Rahul donned a traditional Kashmiri pheran for the public rally at the Sher-e-Kashmiri stadium. (PTI Photo)

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Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hoisted the national flag at the party headquarters in Srinagar. (PTI Photo)

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Addressing the rally at the finale, Rahul Gandhi spoke about the assassinations of his grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi, adding that he understood the pain of violence. (PTI Photo)

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In an interview with The Indian Express, Congress leader K C Venugopal stated that there will be a second leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which will involve Rahul Gandhi but the design of the yatra is yet to be finalised. (PTI Photo)

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People watch Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Srinagar, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023. (PTI Photo/S. Irfan)

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Rahul Gandhi with All India Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in Srinagar to mark the culmination of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. (@bharatjodo/Twitter)

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Gandhi said “the aim of his Bharat Jodo Yatra was to save the liberal and secular ethos of the country which, he claimed, was facing an assault from the BJP and the RSS.” (@bharatjodo/Twitter)

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With Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi has surpassed the distance covered by Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy during his padyatra over more than one-and-a-half years, from 2017 to 2019. (@bharatjodo/Twitter)

Rahul, dressed in a white T-shirt throughout the yatra, met people from all walks of life, attended 12 public meetings, over 100 corner meetings and 13 press conferences. The march also saw participation from several Opposition leaders such as National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti, Shiv Sena’s Aaditya Thackeray, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Raut and NCP’s Supriya Sule.

भारत जोड़ो यात्रा के एकता और मोहब्बत की ओर करोड़ों कदम, देश के बेहतर कल की बुनियाद बने हैं।

यात्रा जारी है – नफ़रत मिटने तक, भारत जुड़ने तक।

ये वादा है मेरा! pic.twitter.com/8LqTx7ZupV

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 7, 2023

Congratulating Rahul and the yatris alongside him for their feat, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated that the yatra was a “People’s Movement, unequalled in history”. “The Congress party is continuously reaching out to people in an endeavour to reclaim our Constitution and protect our Democracy. Today, Bharat Jodo Yatra continues…” he tweeted.

#BharatJodoYatra is a People’s Movement, unequalled in history.

As the Yatra completes one year today, on behalf of the Indian National Congress, I congratulate Shri @RahulGandhi, all Bharat Yatris and the lakhs of our citizens who walked and joined in this historic endeavour.… pic.twitter.com/0jCAbvzU2A

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 7, 2023

“The trend of manufacturing irrelevant headlines to divert attention from the real issues of people to hide the agenda of hate and division is a systemic attack on our collective conscience. The Yatra seeks to bring real issues of economic inequalities, price rise, unemployment, social injustices, subversion of Constitution, centralisation of power, to the centre stage of people’s imagination. The Yatra continues to fight the menace of hate and hostility in our society through a conversation,” he added.

Meanwhile, Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, “The Bharat Jodo Yatra was a hugely transformative event in Indian politics and focussed on the themes of rising economic inequalities, increasing social polarisation and deepening political authoritarianism.”

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ramesh added that the yatra was “not a Mann ki Baat lecturing exercise for Rahul Gandhi but an opportunity to listen to Janta ki Chinta”.

Today marks the first anniversary of the launch of the historic Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra, led by @RahulGandhi.

After paying tributes to his father at Sriperumbudur, he visited the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Thiruvalluvar statue, the Kamaraj Memorial and Gandhi… pic.twitter.com/OxcNmycSHo

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 7, 2023

“The Yatra continues in different forms as evidenced by Rahul Gandhi’s meetings with students, truck drivers, farmers and farm workers, mechanics, vegetable traders, MSMEs across the country, and his presence in Manipur along with his extended week-long visit to Ladakh,” Ramesh tweeted.