By Our Special Correspondent
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with several party leaders, launched the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from here on Thursday, marking the beginning of a challenging journey through which the party is trying to reach out to people and revitalize its organization.
Before the start of the padayatra, Gandhi hoisted the national flag at the camp of the Indian pilgrims who had accompanied him on the 3,570 km journey from Kanyakimari to Kashmir. Along with 118 'Bharat Yatris' as well as other party leaders from across the country, Gandhi started the padayatra from Agastishwaram here.
Gandhi on Wednesday flagged off the party's prestigious 'Bharat Jodo Yatra’, saying that BJP-RSS is trying to divide the country on religious lines and not to lose her country to hatred.
Party Chief Sonia Gandhi described the march as a "landmark occasion" as she focused on reviving the embattled party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and hoped the march would help revive the grand old party. The march will cover 12 states and two union territories in about five months. The padayatra will be held in two batches from 7 am to 10:30 am and from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm.
Participants plan to walk around 22-23 km each day. About 30 percent of 'Bharat pilgrims' are women. The average age of Indian pilgrims is 38, 50,000 citizens have also registered to participate in the Yatra.
After reaching Kerala on September 11, the Yatra will travel through the state for the next 18 days and reach Karnataka on September 30. It will stay in Karnataka for 21 days before moving north.
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