Bharat Jodo Yatra: A New Rahul Gandhi & Congress Have Emerged, Says Jairam Ramesh

The Karnataka leg of the Congress' ambitious Bharat Jodo Yatra began here today, with the march led by party leader Rahul Gandhi entering the state via Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district bordering Kerala.

"People asked who is 'thodoing' (breaking) Bharat for Congress to do Bharat Jodo, our answer is Mr Modi's ideology, policies, personality is thodoing Bharat. Because economic inequality is increasing, social polarisation is increasing and political over-centralisation is increasing, the Congress is doing this yatra," Ramesh said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the yatra is the "booster dose and Sanjeevini" for the Congress as it is strengthening the organisation and setting a narrative in the country, while it has made BJP "disturbed or very nervous".

"It has forced the BJP and RSS on the backfoot and made them nervous, because a new Rahul Gandhi has emerged and a new Congress party has emerged from this Bharat Jodo Yatra," he added. October 4 and 5 will be "rest day" for the yatra in Karnataka on the occasion of Dasara festival.

Stating that Rahul Gandhi along with other yatris will be interacting every day with various civil society groups, Ramesh said today the former met with tribal community groups and families who have lost their breadwinners due to lack of oxygen at the Chamarajanagar hospital during the peak of COVID-19.

Noting that Friday is the 23rd day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he said the foot march has traversed a distance of 62 km in Tamil Nadu and 355 km in Kerala, and over the next 21 days it will cover 511 km by foot in Karnataka.

The yatra is being undertaken by 120 'Bharat Yatris', one third of whom are women, and the average age of the yatris is 38, he said. Till now, the yatra has covered an average of 21 kms a day.

(With PTI inputs)