Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ received a grand welcome on its arrival in Kerala border ‘Parasala’ on Sunday.
MP Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharath Jodo Yatra’, a foot march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, was welcomed by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and MP K Sudhakaran, Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan, AICC General Secretary Tariq Anwar, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, former chief minister Oommen Chandy, Dr Sashi Tharoor MP, UDF convener MM Hassan, Yatra State coordinator Kodikkunnil Suresh and other senior Congress leaders.
‘The Bharath Jodo Yatra’, which began from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, reached Cheruvarakonam, near Parasala on Saturday night.
The 19-day Yatra from September 11 to 29 in Kerala raising the slogan ‘Mile Kadam, Jude Vatan’ (step by step, unite India) will cross seven districts and cover 450 km.
On his arrival at Neyyattinkara, Rahul Gandhi will visit the Gandhi Museum there after taking a break for the march at Ooroottukala Madhavi Mandiram, the house of Dr G Ramachandran, who was a friend of Mahatma Gandhi. Later, he will interact with the traditional weavers of Balaramapuram in Neyyattinkara.
After that, the Padayatra would resume from Neyyattinkara Moonnukallinmoodu at 4 pm and conclude for the day at Nemom.
On Monday, the Padayatra will resume from Nemom to Kazhakkoottam. On Tuesday, it will start from Kazhakkoottam to Kallambalam. The Yatra will enter Kollam on September 14 and reach Alappuzha on September 17. It will enter Ernakulam on September 21 and Thrissur on September 23. The Yatra will enter Palakkad on September 26 and Malappuram on September 28. Later, the Yatra will enter Karnataka through Gudallur in Tamil Nadu. About 300 Congress activists are accompanying the Padayatra.
Meanwhile, film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has opined that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should welcome Rahul Gandhi when he reaches Kerala.