Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Delhi from NHPC Metro Station in Faridabad, Haryana on Saturday morning.
Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the national capital on Saturday morning after a flag handover ceremony at Badarpur. A large number of workers from Delhi Congress-led by Delhi unit chief Anil Chaudhary welcomed Gandhi and the Yatris at the Delhi border in Badarpur. The yatra entered Delhi from the Faridabad side in Haryana. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also joined Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The yatra entered Delhi from the Badarpur border in southeast Delhi at 6.30 am today and will conclude at Red Fort via Ashram Chowk, covering a distance of 23 kilometres, according to the police advisory.
Gandhi was earlier accorded a warm welcome at the Badarpur border in Delhi with local party workers joining the yatra in large numbers, as the yatra left Haryana and entered the national capital. He also thanked the people of Haryana for showering so much love and according to the yatra a very warm welcome to them
Meanwhile, celebrations were underway as Bharat Jodo Yatra entered the national capital from NHPC Metro Station in Faridabad.
After the yatra entered Delhi, Rahul Gandhi, while speaking to Delhiites, said, “Some people are spreading hatred but common man of the country is now talking about love. In every state, lakhs have joined the yatra. I’ve said to the people of RSS-BJP that we’re here to open the shop of love in your ‘bazar’ of hatred.” (sic
Hum jahan gaye humko pyaar mila. This Yatra is against fear, hatred, unemployment and inflation. The RSS spreads fear and then they convert it into hatred. We say don’t be afraid as we don’t spread hate,” the Congress MP said.
“This Yatra is against hate. There is only love and non-violence in Bharat Jodo yatra. This journey will go from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and we will hoist the tricolor there. We have been able to walk from Kanyakumari to Delhi because of people’s love and power. India has helped us, we will never forget it,” the Wayanad MP said.
The yatra will reach Jai Dev Ashram near Ashram Chowk around 10.30 am and will end at Red Fort around 4.30 pm. A large number of pedestrians and vehicles are expected to join the yatra at various points along the route. The Yatra will make its morning halt in the national capital at Ashram chowk at 11 am and will resume its journey at 1 PM.
After traversing through Mathura road, India Gate and ITO, it will halt near the red fort. The Yatra will reach Red Fort at 4.30 pm where Rahul Gandhi will address a gathering and pay tribute at Rajghat.
‘THIS YATRA AGAINST HATE, FEAR’
Emphasising that people from all walks of life, religion and profession have joined Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said, “People of all religions are walking together in this journey. Rich, poor, farmers, laborers have all joined Bharat Jodo. There is an entire India in this journey.”
“When I started this journey from Kanyakumari, I came to know that there is no hatred in this country, there is only love in this country,” he added.
“As I had said a few days ago that in this market of hatred, we will open up a shop to spread love in society, every Indian should open a small shop to spread love. You would have seen there is no hatred in this yatra,” he also said, alleging that only a handful of people are spreading this hatred but the majority of Indians talk of uniting people.
Senior Congress leader and party’s communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh confirmed that veteran actor and politician Kamal Haasan and other leaders will join the yatra. “Today, the yatra has completed 109 days, we are welcoming all the people and anyone is welcome to join,” he said.
“Anyone is welcome to join Bharat Jodo Yatra, be it Nitin Gadkari ji, Defence minister Rajnath ji or former VP Venkaiah Naidu ji. Anyone who believes in uniting India and shunning hatred is welcome to join this yatra,” he said.
We have finally arrived in Delhi despite many people making attempts to stop us. I am wearing a mask. Does Prime Minister Narendra Modi wear a mask 24 hours? Bharat Jodo Yatra is just not an event, it is history, a movement. Real Rahul Gandhi is visible now,” he added.
“Only 2024 will decide it but if you ask us, then, definitely Rahul Gandhi should become PM,”Congress leader Pawan Khera said.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY IN DELHI TODAY
Delhi Police, in a traffic advisory, advised commuters to avoid Badarpur flyover, Mitha Pur Chowk, Prahlad Pur Red Light, MB Road, Apollo flyover, Mathura Road, Mathura Road, Okhla Mod red light, Modi Mill flyover, NFC Red Light, Ashram Chowk, Mool Chand, Andrews Ganj, AIIMS, as these routes would be affected.
The Yatra will take a nine-day year-end break and will again resume on January 3 from Delhi.
The yatra which started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 has traversed nine states so far and is set to culminate in Jammu and Kashmir by the end of January.
The yatra is on its 108th day and has covered around 3,000 km in 46 districts across nine states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telengana, Andra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.
(With PTI inputs)
