Tag: Bharat-Jodo Yatra

  • Demonetisation, wrongly designed GST behind high unemployment rate: Jairam Ramesh

    By PTI

    BUNDI, RAJASTHAN: Demonetisation, wrongly designed GST and faulty economic policies of the Narendra Modi government are the reasons why the country is facing the highest unemployment rate in 45 years, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Sunday.

    He was addressing a press conference in Bundi district’s Laban village, where Bharat Jodo Yatra halted for the morning break after clocking 12.8 km from Baldevpura.

    “Demonetisation was the major factor followed by GST (Goods and Services Tax) that destroyed small and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises which generate maximum employment,” he said.

    On the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ramesh said one of its significant aspects is to raise issues such as economic disparities and inequalities.

    “We are raising our voice against rising prices, unemployment rate and wrongly designed and implemented GST and closure of small scale industries,” Ramesh said as he released a movie on unemployment.

    The Congress leader said it was appropriate to release the movie in Rajasthan as it was the first state to launch an urban employment grantee scheme, which was named after Indira Gandhi, in September.

    Ramesh also referred to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, saying it gave relief to several lakh people in the two to three Covid-hit years, but the scheme was criticised by some people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Ramesh congratulated Ashok Gehlot for implementing the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee scheme to eradicate unemployment in urban areas.

    “Economic disparities are increasing among states, between poor and rich, and the middle class is suppressed. We are highlighting this in the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Ramesh said.

    Responding to a question on Gehlot and his nemesis and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot travelling by the same helicopter to Shimla to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the new Himachal CM, Ramesh all party leaders are already “united” and the two leaders travelling together was not just for photographs.

    “Both leaders are assets for us. One is experienced and is at a high position in the organisation and in the state. Sachin Pilot is young and energetic. The people and the organisation need both of them. What you are seeing (Gehlot-Sachin in the same chopper) is not a hypocrisy or a show,” Ramesh said.

    On Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ramesh said only women participants will march on its 96th day on Monday, which will be kicked off from Babai in Bundi district.

    BUNDI, RAJASTHAN: Demonetisation, wrongly designed GST and faulty economic policies of the Narendra Modi government are the reasons why the country is facing the highest unemployment rate in 45 years, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Sunday.

    He was addressing a press conference in Bundi district’s Laban village, where Bharat Jodo Yatra halted for the morning break after clocking 12.8 km from Baldevpura.

    “Demonetisation was the major factor followed by GST (Goods and Services Tax) that destroyed small and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises which generate maximum employment,” he said.

    On the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ramesh said one of its significant aspects is to raise issues such as economic disparities and inequalities.

    “We are raising our voice against rising prices, unemployment rate and wrongly designed and implemented GST and closure of small scale industries,” Ramesh said as he released a movie on unemployment.

    The Congress leader said it was appropriate to release the movie in Rajasthan as it was the first state to launch an urban employment grantee scheme, which was named after Indira Gandhi, in September.

    Ramesh also referred to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, saying it gave relief to several lakh people in the two to three Covid-hit years, but the scheme was criticised by some people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Ramesh congratulated Ashok Gehlot for implementing the Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee scheme to eradicate unemployment in urban areas.

    “Economic disparities are increasing among states, between poor and rich, and the middle class is suppressed. We are highlighting this in the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Ramesh said.

    Responding to a question on Gehlot and his nemesis and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot travelling by the same helicopter to Shimla to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the new Himachal CM, Ramesh all party leaders are already “united” and the two leaders travelling together was not just for photographs.

    “Both leaders are assets for us. One is experienced and is at a high position in the organisation and in the state. Sachin Pilot is young and energetic. The people and the organisation need both of them. What you are seeing (Gehlot-Sachin in the same chopper) is not a hypocrisy or a show,” Ramesh said.

    On Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ramesh said only women participants will march on its 96th day on Monday, which will be kicked off from Babai in Bundi district.

  • Congress’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ resumes from Rajasthan’s Bundi

    By PTI

    JAIPUR:  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed the Rajasthan leg of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Gudli village in Bundi district on Saturday morning.

    Gandhi had taken a day’s break from the yatra on Friday to celebrate his mother Sonia Gandhi’s birthday. He flew back to Gudli village to resume the yatra.

    Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who had reached Ranthambore on Thursday, were not accompanying him in the yatra on Saturday. However, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and several other party leaders and workers accompanied Rahul Gandhi.

    On the 94th day, the yatra is likely to cover 30 km from Gudli village in Keshoraipatan assembly constituency in Bundi district represented by BJP MLA Chandrakanta Meghwal.

    Rahul Gandhi stopped for a tea break at a roadside dhaba near Hastinapur village on the way to Arneta. He stopped for around 15 minutes for tea and refreshment after covering nearly 12 km. After tea, the yatra left for its next halt at Arneta in Kapren. Lunch break is scheduled at Arneta.

    The yatra will start its afternoon leg at 3.30 pm. It is slated to reach Balapura Chouraha at 6.30 pm with night stay at Kodkya, near Bajdali railway crossing.

    As the yatra reached Sunwasa village, the participants were welcomed with Sanskrit verses recited by the pupils of a Ved Vidyalaya.

    Hundreds of people from others districts of the state also reached Gudli on Friday night and early Saturday morning to join the yatra.

    Pukhraj Mehra (65), a retired Nayab Tehsildar from Jodhpur, along with his five or six companions reached Bundi on Friday night and joined the yatra.

    “I had the opportunity to have a close look at Rahul Gandhi even though I was out of the security circle,” said Mehra, who marched for around five kilometres.

    This is the first time that the yatra, which began from Kanyakumari on September 8, has entered a Congress-ruled state.

    The yatra is scheduled to cover a distance of 500 km — passing through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts — in 17 days before entering Haryana on December 21.

    JAIPUR:  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed the Rajasthan leg of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Gudli village in Bundi district on Saturday morning.

    Gandhi had taken a day’s break from the yatra on Friday to celebrate his mother Sonia Gandhi’s birthday. He flew back to Gudli village to resume the yatra.

    Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who had reached Ranthambore on Thursday, were not accompanying him in the yatra on Saturday. However, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and several other party leaders and workers accompanied Rahul Gandhi.

    On the 94th day, the yatra is likely to cover 30 km from Gudli village in Keshoraipatan assembly constituency in Bundi district represented by BJP MLA Chandrakanta Meghwal.

    Rahul Gandhi stopped for a tea break at a roadside dhaba near Hastinapur village on the way to Arneta. He stopped for around 15 minutes for tea and refreshment after covering nearly 12 km. After tea, the yatra left for its next halt at Arneta in Kapren. Lunch break is scheduled at Arneta.

    The yatra will start its afternoon leg at 3.30 pm. It is slated to reach Balapura Chouraha at 6.30 pm with night stay at Kodkya, near Bajdali railway crossing.

    As the yatra reached Sunwasa village, the participants were welcomed with Sanskrit verses recited by the pupils of a Ved Vidyalaya.

    Hundreds of people from others districts of the state also reached Gudli on Friday night and early Saturday morning to join the yatra.

    Pukhraj Mehra (65), a retired Nayab Tehsildar from Jodhpur, along with his five or six companions reached Bundi on Friday night and joined the yatra.

    “I had the opportunity to have a close look at Rahul Gandhi even though I was out of the security circle,” said Mehra, who marched for around five kilometres.

    This is the first time that the yatra, which began from Kanyakumari on September 8, has entered a Congress-ruled state.

    The yatra is scheduled to cover a distance of 500 km — passing through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts — in 17 days before entering Haryana on December 21.

  • Sonia Gandhi arrives in Jaipur as Bharat Jodo Yatra passes through Rajasthan

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi arrived in Jaipur on Thursday morning as the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is crossing through Rajasthan, a party spokesperson said.

    She is scheduled to fly to Bundi in a helicopter where her son and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to take a halt later in the day after marching 24 kilometres as part of the yatra, he said.

    The march is set to take a break on December 9, which is also Sonia Gandhi’s birthday.

    The yatra will resume on December 10.

    Rahul Gandhi began the Rajasthan leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra from the Jhalawar district on Monday.

    Rajasthan is the only Congress-ruled state the yatra has entered and will cover about 500 km through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts over 17 days before entering Haryana on December 21.

    JAIPUR: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi arrived in Jaipur on Thursday morning as the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is crossing through Rajasthan, a party spokesperson said.

    She is scheduled to fly to Bundi in a helicopter where her son and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to take a halt later in the day after marching 24 kilometres as part of the yatra, he said.

    The march is set to take a break on December 9, which is also Sonia Gandhi’s birthday.

    The yatra will resume on December 10.

    Rahul Gandhi began the Rajasthan leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra from the Jhalawar district on Monday.

    Rajasthan is the only Congress-ruled state the yatra has entered and will cover about 500 km through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts over 17 days before entering Haryana on December 21.

  • Rajasthan Congress gets HC jolt during Bharat Jodo Yatra

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Even as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered its second day in Rajasthan on Tuesday, the Congress received a jolt with the High Court issuing a notice to the Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi over the resignations of 91 party MLAs on September 25.

    A division bench of Justices MM Srivastava and VK Bhavani gave the order on a PIL filed by BJP leader Rajendra Singh Rathore, since the Speaker has not yet taken any decision on the issue. The petition said if an MLA submits his resignation under Rule 173 of the Legislative Assembly Procedure, the Speaker has no option but to accept the resignation and can only examine whether the resignation is voluntary and genuine or not.

    The petition also said that it is possible that such a huge number of MLAs may have been forced to give their resignations or their signatures were forged, and the government has lost confidence in the House due to the resignation of MLAs. “The court has issued a two weeks’ notice after the hearing,” Rathore said.

    “The Speaker and the secretary of the Assembly will have to present why they have not yet decided on these resignations even after a lapse of 70 days,” he added. Meanwhile, Rahul faced pro-Modi slogans when his rally passed in front of the office of Lok Sabha MP Dushyant Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje in Jhalawar district, which is the BJP leader’s bastion.

    Rahul shook hands with the BJP workers and also asked Sachin Pilot and Ramlal Jat, who were walking along, to greet them. The Congress leaders waved at the crowd, and even blew a few flying kisses towards them, which led to a burst of clapping from the onlookers. This, the Congress said, is a reflection of the kind of politics Rahul wants to promote through his Yatra. Rahul also said on the social media that the purpose of his Yatra is to counter the politics of hatred that is being spread in the country.

    “Neither malice, nor irritation, nor anger — there is none of these in the heart of any of our Yatris. There is something to unite India, sympathy for the problems of Indians and love for all countrymen…,” he posted. Meanwhile, amid continuing internal tussle in the Congress in Rajasthan, senior Punjab leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been appointed as the state on-charge in place of Ajay Maken, who resigned a few weeks ago. Randhawa has also been nominated as a member of the Congress Steering Committee. In the last two-and-a-half years, two state in-charges have resigned in Rajasthan, but the Gehlot-Pilot dispute remains unresolved.

    JAIPUR: Even as Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra entered its second day in Rajasthan on Tuesday, the Congress received a jolt with the High Court issuing a notice to the Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi over the resignations of 91 party MLAs on September 25.

    A division bench of Justices MM Srivastava and VK Bhavani gave the order on a PIL filed by BJP leader Rajendra Singh Rathore, since the Speaker has not yet taken any decision on the issue. The petition said if an MLA submits his resignation under Rule 173 of the Legislative Assembly Procedure, the Speaker has no option but to accept the resignation and can only examine whether the resignation is voluntary and genuine or not.

    The petition also said that it is possible that such a huge number of MLAs may have been forced to give their resignations or their signatures were forged, and the government has lost confidence in the House due to the resignation of MLAs. “The court has issued a two weeks’ notice after the hearing,” Rathore said.

    “The Speaker and the secretary of the Assembly will have to present why they have not yet decided on these resignations even after a lapse of 70 days,” he added. Meanwhile, Rahul faced pro-Modi slogans when his rally passed in front of the office of Lok Sabha MP Dushyant Singh, the son of former Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje in Jhalawar district, which is the BJP leader’s bastion.

    Rahul shook hands with the BJP workers and also asked Sachin Pilot and Ramlal Jat, who were walking along, to greet them. The Congress leaders waved at the crowd, and even blew a few flying kisses towards them, which led to a burst of clapping from the onlookers. This, the Congress said, is a reflection of the kind of politics Rahul wants to promote through his Yatra. Rahul also said on the social media that the purpose of his Yatra is to counter the politics of hatred that is being spread in the country.

    “Neither malice, nor irritation, nor anger — there is none of these in the heart of any of our Yatris. There is something to unite India, sympathy for the problems of Indians and love for all countrymen…,” he posted. Meanwhile, amid continuing internal tussle in the Congress in Rajasthan, senior Punjab leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been appointed as the state on-charge in place of Ajay Maken, who resigned a few weeks ago. Randhawa has also been nominated as a member of the Congress Steering Committee. In the last two-and-a-half years, two state in-charges have resigned in Rajasthan, but the Gehlot-Pilot dispute remains unresolved.

  • Possibility of India’s division increased due to PM Modi’s policies: Jairam Ramesh

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday charged that the possibility of India’s division has increased due to his policies and that “political dictatorship” is becoming a reality.

    Ramesh made these comments at a press conference on the sidelines of the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

    “There are three challenges before the country which need to be fought. The possibility of division in India has increased due to the intention and policies of the prime minister. Economic disparity is rising and divisive ideology are the two other challenges,” he told reporters at Bali Borda village of Jhalawar district.

    The former Union minister alleged, “Political dictatorship is becoming a reality, which has resulted in One Nation-One Man. One individual is being given all political rights… Constitution is being ignored and constitutional bodies are being weakened.”

    Ramesh said the Bharat Jodo Yatra was planned to raise various issues facing the people. The yatra entered Rajasthan on Sunday.

    It started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and has so far covered the five southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, and then traversed through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

    It will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir in early February next year, covering 3,570 km in 150 days.

    Ramesh said the yatra is not for winning elections and it is expected that it will activate and strengthen the party organisation.

    “We may get the benefit of the yatra in the election. I feel that the yatra will not make a major difference in the election (outcome). But, it will make a difference if we take serious follow-up actions,” he said.

    Replying to a question, he said that in politics there are several other things than elections.

    He also added that ideology has its place in politics. “Elections will be won and lost but it is important to fight ideological battles,” he said.

    Ramesh said the Congress had lagged in giving priority to ideological battles and gave priority to elections in the past 35-40 years.

    On the BJP accusing the Congress of dividing India, he said the BJP doesn’t deserve to raise such allegations as those who follow the ideology never played a role in the freedom struggle and in the making of the Constitution.

    He said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has a divisive ideology and the BJP is expert in giving slogans and event management.

    “Our republic’s basic principle is unity in diversity and BJY (yatra) not only believes in unity in diversity but also unity in plurality. If you suppress plurality then unity will be in danger,” he said.

    He further said, “BJP wants uniformity and we want unity. This is the basic difference between BJP-RSS and Congress. We have not divided (India) but we have divided Pakistan in 1971.”

    Ramesh said the Congress party will start the ‘Hath-Se-Hath Jodo’ campaign from January 26 to March 26. It will be a three-level campaign in which yatras will be taken out from the booth, block, district and state levels.

    He said that several organisations have joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    “Many of these organisations had taken part in the movement led by Anna Hazare in 2012, but they have now realised that there is no other option than Congress.”

    JAIPUR: Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday charged that the possibility of India’s division has increased due to his policies and that “political dictatorship” is becoming a reality.

    Ramesh made these comments at a press conference on the sidelines of the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

    “There are three challenges before the country which need to be fought. The possibility of division in India has increased due to the intention and policies of the prime minister. Economic disparity is rising and divisive ideology are the two other challenges,” he told reporters at Bali Borda village of Jhalawar district.

    The former Union minister alleged, “Political dictatorship is becoming a reality, which has resulted in One Nation-One Man. One individual is being given all political rights… Constitution is being ignored and constitutional bodies are being weakened.”

    Ramesh said the Bharat Jodo Yatra was planned to raise various issues facing the people. The yatra entered Rajasthan on Sunday.

    It started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and has so far covered the five southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, and then traversed through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

    It will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir in early February next year, covering 3,570 km in 150 days.

    Ramesh said the yatra is not for winning elections and it is expected that it will activate and strengthen the party organisation.

    “We may get the benefit of the yatra in the election. I feel that the yatra will not make a major difference in the election (outcome). But, it will make a difference if we take serious follow-up actions,” he said.

    Replying to a question, he said that in politics there are several other things than elections.

    He also added that ideology has its place in politics. “Elections will be won and lost but it is important to fight ideological battles,” he said.

    Ramesh said the Congress had lagged in giving priority to ideological battles and gave priority to elections in the past 35-40 years.

    On the BJP accusing the Congress of dividing India, he said the BJP doesn’t deserve to raise such allegations as those who follow the ideology never played a role in the freedom struggle and in the making of the Constitution.

    He said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has a divisive ideology and the BJP is expert in giving slogans and event management.

    “Our republic’s basic principle is unity in diversity and BJY (yatra) not only believes in unity in diversity but also unity in plurality. If you suppress plurality then unity will be in danger,” he said.

    He further said, “BJP wants uniformity and we want unity. This is the basic difference between BJP-RSS and Congress. We have not divided (India) but we have divided Pakistan in 1971.”

    Ramesh said the Congress party will start the ‘Hath-Se-Hath Jodo’ campaign from January 26 to March 26. It will be a three-level campaign in which yatras will be taken out from the booth, block, district and state levels.

    He said that several organisations have joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    “Many of these organisations had taken part in the movement led by Anna Hazare in 2012, but they have now realised that there is no other option than Congress.”

  •  Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi interacts with children, sips tea at dhaba on first day

    By PTI

    RAJASTHAN: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began the Rajasthan leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra from Jhalawar district on Monday morning, with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot in attendance.

    The 89th day of the yatra started from Kali Talai in Jhalrapatan, a rural area on the Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh border.

    Gandhi set off the yatra at 6.10 am when the temperature was 13 degrees Celsius, but he was seemingly comfortable walking in a half sleeves T-shirt and trousers teamed with sports shoes, while the other leaders and workers were seen in jackets.

    The other notable leaders who accompanied Gandhi were AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Singh Dotasra, senior leader Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.

    During the yatra, Gandhi interacted with about half a dozen children and waved at a large number of people who participated in the yatra who called it a “fair”.

    He sipped his morning tea at a dhaba.

    During the yatra, former MP Raghuveer Meena felt uneasiness and he was taken to the district hospital in Jhalawar in an ambulance.

    After covering about 14 km, the padayatra halted at Baliborda chauraha.

    It will resume after lunch from Nahardi area at 3.30 pm.

    The Congress party tweeted in Hindi asking its members and supporters not to slow down but deliver “something amazing”.

    “Bharat Jodo Yatra has saluted the soil of bravery, and Rajasthan, which is a land of histories, will create another history,” the party tweeted.

    The yatra entered Rajasthan from Madhya Pradesh on Sunday evening.

    While Gehlot shared pictures on Twitter, Pilot took to the micro-blogging platform to convey that the yatra in the state started with a resolve to fulfil hopes and expectations of the youth.

    Dotasara tweeted, “The caravan of Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi to tie India in the thread of love, harmony and unity has now set out to create history in Rajasthan.”

    Rajasthan is the only Congress-ruled state where the yatra has entered and will cover about 500 km passing through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts over 17 days before entering Haryana on December 21.

    Gandhi will interact with farmers at Lalsot in Dausa on December 15 and address a public meeting at Malakheda in Alwar on December 19.

    The yatra started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and has so far covered the five southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, and then traversed through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

    It will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir in early February 2023, covering 3,570 km in 150 days.

    RAJASTHAN: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began the Rajasthan leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra from Jhalawar district on Monday morning, with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot in attendance.

    The 89th day of the yatra started from Kali Talai in Jhalrapatan, a rural area on the Rajasthan-Madhya Pradesh border.

    Gandhi set off the yatra at 6.10 am when the temperature was 13 degrees Celsius, but he was seemingly comfortable walking in a half sleeves T-shirt and trousers teamed with sports shoes, while the other leaders and workers were seen in jackets.

    The other notable leaders who accompanied Gandhi were AICC general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Singh Dotasra, senior leader Bhanwar Jitendra Singh, and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas.

    During the yatra, Gandhi interacted with about half a dozen children and waved at a large number of people who participated in the yatra who called it a “fair”.

    He sipped his morning tea at a dhaba.

    During the yatra, former MP Raghuveer Meena felt uneasiness and he was taken to the district hospital in Jhalawar in an ambulance.

    After covering about 14 km, the padayatra halted at Baliborda chauraha.

    It will resume after lunch from Nahardi area at 3.30 pm.

    The Congress party tweeted in Hindi asking its members and supporters not to slow down but deliver “something amazing”.

    “Bharat Jodo Yatra has saluted the soil of bravery, and Rajasthan, which is a land of histories, will create another history,” the party tweeted.

    The yatra entered Rajasthan from Madhya Pradesh on Sunday evening.

    While Gehlot shared pictures on Twitter, Pilot took to the micro-blogging platform to convey that the yatra in the state started with a resolve to fulfil hopes and expectations of the youth.

    Dotasara tweeted, “The caravan of Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi to tie India in the thread of love, harmony and unity has now set out to create history in Rajasthan.”

    Rajasthan is the only Congress-ruled state where the yatra has entered and will cover about 500 km passing through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts over 17 days before entering Haryana on December 21.

    Gandhi will interact with farmers at Lalsot in Dausa on December 15 and address a public meeting at Malakheda in Alwar on December 19.

    The yatra started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and has so far covered the five southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana, and then traversed through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

    It will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir in early February 2023, covering 3,570 km in 150 days.

  • Rahul explains how media coverage of him changed from praise to personal attack 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday shared a 2.15-minute video clip in which he claimed to have revealed the truth about his image portrayed by the media and how the coverage turned from 24×7 praise in the initial years to personal attacks now.

    In the video clip shared on social media, ‘What is the real truth of my media image’, Gandhi said the truth has come out finally even though thousands of crores of rupees have been spent in destroying his image for years.

    “From the time I first came into politics in 2004 to 2008-09, the entire media of India used to praise me 24 hours. 

    मेरी मीडिया छवि का असली सच क्या है? https://t.co/PW4ZZqIN8b pic.twitter.com/IX9Lp91FgE
    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 4, 2022
    Then I raised two issues — Niyamgiri and Bhatta Parsaul (land acquisition matters). The moment I raised the question of land and the moment I started to defend the right of poor people on their land, is when this whole media tamasha starts,” he says in the video clip which also contains images from his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    “We brought in PESA Act — Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act — for Adivasis, enacted forest rights act, brought the land acquisition bill, and thereafter all the media started writing against me 24 hours,” he claimed.

    “India’s assets were transferred from the maharajas to the people of India through the Constitution and the BJP is reversing them now. Your assets are now being snatched away and are being sought to be given back to the maharajas,” he alleged.

    He said if the people of India, tribals and the poor stand united, the work will be very easy, but if they remain divided, then it is impossible fulfil the task. Gandhi is currently undertaking the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

    ALSO READ | Congress may end 3,500-km Bharat Jodo Yatra on Republic Day

    In the video clip, he said, “They spent thousands of crores to destroy my image and now people think it is harmful to me. The beauty of it is that it doesn’t work. The truth has a nasty habit of poking its nose out from here and poking its nose out from there. So the amount of money that they use to destroy my image, they are giving me that much strength. Because the truth cannot be hidden or suppressed. If you fight with big powers, then there will be personal attacks,” he said.

    He said that he knows that when there are personal attacks against him, it shows he is doing something right. 

    “So I know when there is personal attack on me, I am doing the right work and am on the right direction. This, in a way, is my guru, as it teaches me that I have to go this way and not the other way. So I am advancing in my fight and if I am moving forward, then everything is fine,” he claimed in the video.

    The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered Rajasthan on Sunday, will cover a total distance of 3,570 km and conclude in January.

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday shared a 2.15-minute video clip in which he claimed to have revealed the truth about his image portrayed by the media and how the coverage turned from 24×7 praise in the initial years to personal attacks now.

    In the video clip shared on social media, ‘What is the real truth of my media image’, Gandhi said the truth has come out finally even though thousands of crores of rupees have been spent in destroying his image for years.

    “From the time I first came into politics in 2004 to 2008-09, the entire media of India used to praise me 24 hours. 

    मेरी मीडिया छवि का असली सच क्या है? https://t.co/PW4ZZqIN8b pic.twitter.com/IX9Lp91FgE
    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 4, 2022
    Then I raised two issues — Niyamgiri and Bhatta Parsaul (land acquisition matters). The moment I raised the question of land and the moment I started to defend the right of poor people on their land, is when this whole media tamasha starts,” he says in the video clip which also contains images from his ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

    “We brought in PESA Act — Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act — for Adivasis, enacted forest rights act, brought the land acquisition bill, and thereafter all the media started writing against me 24 hours,” he claimed.

    “India’s assets were transferred from the maharajas to the people of India through the Constitution and the BJP is reversing them now. Your assets are now being snatched away and are being sought to be given back to the maharajas,” he alleged.

    He said if the people of India, tribals and the poor stand united, the work will be very easy, but if they remain divided, then it is impossible fulfil the task. Gandhi is currently undertaking the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

    ALSO READ | Congress may end 3,500-km Bharat Jodo Yatra on Republic Day

    In the video clip, he said, “They spent thousands of crores to destroy my image and now people think it is harmful to me. The beauty of it is that it doesn’t work. The truth has a nasty habit of poking its nose out from here and poking its nose out from there. So the amount of money that they use to destroy my image, they are giving me that much strength. Because the truth cannot be hidden or suppressed. If you fight with big powers, then there will be personal attacks,” he said.

    He said that he knows that when there are personal attacks against him, it shows he is doing something right. 

    “So I know when there is personal attack on me, I am doing the right work and am on the right direction. This, in a way, is my guru, as it teaches me that I have to go this way and not the other way. So I am advancing in my fight and if I am moving forward, then everything is fine,” he claimed in the video.

    The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered Rajasthan on Sunday, will cover a total distance of 3,570 km and conclude in January.

  • Kharge talks tough on accountability from ‘top to bottom’, Congress plenary in Feb in Raipur 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday sent out a stern message to leaders to perform or make way for others, and strongly pitched for accountability of office-bearers “from top to bottom” as he presided over the first meeting of the party’s steering committee.

    During the meeting at the AICC headquarters here, the Congress also decided to hold its plenary session in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, in the second half of February, where Kharge’s election as president would be ratified.

    As the Congress plans to end the Bharat Jodo Yatra by January 26, the Committee decided to continue its mass outreach with the ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan (Joining Hands campaign)’ till March 26, during which foot marches will be taken out from village to block and district levels and will culminate as public rallies at state headquarters.

    The party will also hand out a letter by Rahul Gandhi talking about the core message of the yatra, along with a “charge sheet” against the Modi government.

    The party also plans to take out state-level marches by women party workers across the country which will be led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

    In his introductory remarks at the meeting, Kharge batted for organisational accountability in the party and said those unable to fulfil their responsibilities will have to make way for their colleagues.

    He also asked whether the party in-charges have visited their respective areas for even 10 days in a month.

    He also asked state in-charges to submit a roadmap for holding mass movements for raising people’s issues over a period of 30 to 90 days and sought a schedule of planned programmes in states where elections are due before 2024.

    “I believe that the biggest part of our responsibility towards the party and the country is — organisational accountability from top to bottom.

    If the Congress organisation is strong, accountable and lives up to the expectations of the people, only then we will be able to win elections and serve the people of the country,” the Congress chief said.

    During the meeting of the steering committee, which replaced the party’s top decision-making body Congress Working Committee (CWC) till the plenary, the party stressed on unity and urged members to work with a sense of collective purpose to ensure the Congress’ victory.

    The Congress is mired in factionalism in several states including in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the two states where it is in power of its own.

    “The victory of the party will be the victory of every leader and karyakarta and a victory for the idea of India that guided our freedom movement and is enshrined in our Constitution,” the party statement said.

    During the meeting, the leaders also discussed the party’s prospects in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, with in-charges in these states giving their reports.

    Talking tough, Kharge sent out a stern message to office bearers, saying while there are very responsible people in the party who were doing their duty, “some people had assumed that lack of responsibility will be ignored”.

    “This is neither right nor acceptable. Those who are unable to fulfil their responsibility will have to make way for their other colleagues,” he said.

    Kharge said he would like the general secretaries and state in-charges to first fulfil responsibilities.

    “You should introspect whether as general secretaries and in-charges of states you tour your respective areas under your charge for at least 10 days in a month. Have you visited every district unit and discussed issues with party leaders, inquired about local problems and issues?” Kharge said.

    Kharge asked the in-charges if all the District Congress and Block Congress Committees have been formed under them and whether the organisation is fighting for the people’s issues.

    “Have more and more new faces been given a chance at the block and district levels? “How many units are there where the district and block units have not been changed for five years? How many times agitations have taken place on the directives of the AICC on local problems,” Kharge said.

    He also said unless general secretaries and in-charges, secretaries, state Congress chiefs, party MLAs and MPs do not prepare a blueprint for actions at the ground level, “our responsibilities cannot be fulfilled”.

    “I hope that all of you will prepare a blueprint for the organisation and mass movements and discuss it with me in the next 15 to 30 days,” the Congress chief said.

    The Committee unanimously resolved that the 85th Plenary Session of the Congress will be held at Raipur in Chhattisgarh in the second half of February 2023, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said at a press conference.

    Chhattisgarh is going to polls later next year.

    “We will have a discussion on various subjects at this three-day plenary session. There will also be a big public meeting,” he said.

    The steering committee meeting also held a review of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and a future course of action was decided upon.

    “It has been decided that a massive campaign ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan’ will be carried out from January 26 for two months,” he said.

    Venugopal said it is not practical for Rahul Gandhi to attend the winter session of Parliament as he is undertaking the yatra.

    Asked whether the new CWC will be an elected body, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that it would be formed as per the Congress Constitution.

    He said the party is aiming to finish the Kanyakumari to Srinagar yatra by January 26.

    It will enter Delhi on December 24 and the containers will be serviced for a few days here, he said.

    In a statement, the party said it has a critical role to play in finding solutions to challenges before the country.

    The committee also noted the “overwhelming success” of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the wide participation of lakhs of people.

    “The Committee particularly appreciated the leadership of former president Rahul Gandhi, whose ‘Tapasya’, unfailing determination, and love for India and her people have been critical to the success of the Yatra,” the party said.

    The Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying while India faces challenges, he continues to “deny, distract and divide”.

    “His inflammatory rhetoric during the recent election campaigns in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh has further polarised the polity and society at a time when serious discussion and debate are needed,” it alleged.

    Kharge claimed Bharat Jodo Yatra has taken the form of a national movement, saying that it is scripting history under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

    “It is a movement that has called for a decisive war against the back-breaking inflation, unemployment, intolerable economic and social inequality, and the politics of hatred in the country,” he said The biggest success of this journey is that the Bharat Jodo Yatra has taken the form of a national mass movement, he said.

    He also said it is the duty of Congress persons to fight against ruling forces that sow “seeds of hatred” and “reap fruits of division”.

    This is our ‘rashtradharm’, he added.

    Besides Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel, general secretary in-charge organisation Venugopal, senior leaders P Chidambaram, Anand Sharma, Meira Kumar and Ambika Soni were among those who attended the meeting.

    Rahul Gandhi did not attend the meeting due to the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is set to enter Rajasthan on Sunday evening.

    Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also not present at the meeting.

    NEW DELHI: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday sent out a stern message to leaders to perform or make way for others, and strongly pitched for accountability of office-bearers “from top to bottom” as he presided over the first meeting of the party’s steering committee.

    During the meeting at the AICC headquarters here, the Congress also decided to hold its plenary session in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, in the second half of February, where Kharge’s election as president would be ratified.

    As the Congress plans to end the Bharat Jodo Yatra by January 26, the Committee decided to continue its mass outreach with the ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan (Joining Hands campaign)’ till March 26, during which foot marches will be taken out from village to block and district levels and will culminate as public rallies at state headquarters.

    The party will also hand out a letter by Rahul Gandhi talking about the core message of the yatra, along with a “charge sheet” against the Modi government.

    The party also plans to take out state-level marches by women party workers across the country which will be led by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

    In his introductory remarks at the meeting, Kharge batted for organisational accountability in the party and said those unable to fulfil their responsibilities will have to make way for their colleagues.

    He also asked whether the party in-charges have visited their respective areas for even 10 days in a month.

    He also asked state in-charges to submit a roadmap for holding mass movements for raising people’s issues over a period of 30 to 90 days and sought a schedule of planned programmes in states where elections are due before 2024.

    “I believe that the biggest part of our responsibility towards the party and the country is — organisational accountability from top to bottom.

    If the Congress organisation is strong, accountable and lives up to the expectations of the people, only then we will be able to win elections and serve the people of the country,” the Congress chief said.

    During the meeting of the steering committee, which replaced the party’s top decision-making body Congress Working Committee (CWC) till the plenary, the party stressed on unity and urged members to work with a sense of collective purpose to ensure the Congress’ victory.

    The Congress is mired in factionalism in several states including in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the two states where it is in power of its own.

    “The victory of the party will be the victory of every leader and karyakarta and a victory for the idea of India that guided our freedom movement and is enshrined in our Constitution,” the party statement said.

    During the meeting, the leaders also discussed the party’s prospects in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, with in-charges in these states giving their reports.

    Talking tough, Kharge sent out a stern message to office bearers, saying while there are very responsible people in the party who were doing their duty, “some people had assumed that lack of responsibility will be ignored”.

    “This is neither right nor acceptable. Those who are unable to fulfil their responsibility will have to make way for their other colleagues,” he said.

    Kharge said he would like the general secretaries and state in-charges to first fulfil responsibilities.

    “You should introspect whether as general secretaries and in-charges of states you tour your respective areas under your charge for at least 10 days in a month. Have you visited every district unit and discussed issues with party leaders, inquired about local problems and issues?” Kharge said.

    Kharge asked the in-charges if all the District Congress and Block Congress Committees have been formed under them and whether the organisation is fighting for the people’s issues.

    “Have more and more new faces been given a chance at the block and district levels? “How many units are there where the district and block units have not been changed for five years? How many times agitations have taken place on the directives of the AICC on local problems,” Kharge said.

    He also said unless general secretaries and in-charges, secretaries, state Congress chiefs, party MLAs and MPs do not prepare a blueprint for actions at the ground level, “our responsibilities cannot be fulfilled”.

    “I hope that all of you will prepare a blueprint for the organisation and mass movements and discuss it with me in the next 15 to 30 days,” the Congress chief said.

    The Committee unanimously resolved that the 85th Plenary Session of the Congress will be held at Raipur in Chhattisgarh in the second half of February 2023, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said at a press conference.

    Chhattisgarh is going to polls later next year.

    “We will have a discussion on various subjects at this three-day plenary session. There will also be a big public meeting,” he said.

    The steering committee meeting also held a review of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and a future course of action was decided upon.

    “It has been decided that a massive campaign ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan’ will be carried out from January 26 for two months,” he said.

    Venugopal said it is not practical for Rahul Gandhi to attend the winter session of Parliament as he is undertaking the yatra.

    Asked whether the new CWC will be an elected body, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that it would be formed as per the Congress Constitution.

    He said the party is aiming to finish the Kanyakumari to Srinagar yatra by January 26.

    It will enter Delhi on December 24 and the containers will be serviced for a few days here, he said.

    In a statement, the party said it has a critical role to play in finding solutions to challenges before the country.

    The committee also noted the “overwhelming success” of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the wide participation of lakhs of people.

    “The Committee particularly appreciated the leadership of former president Rahul Gandhi, whose ‘Tapasya’, unfailing determination, and love for India and her people have been critical to the success of the Yatra,” the party said.

    The Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying while India faces challenges, he continues to “deny, distract and divide”.

    “His inflammatory rhetoric during the recent election campaigns in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh has further polarised the polity and society at a time when serious discussion and debate are needed,” it alleged.

    Kharge claimed Bharat Jodo Yatra has taken the form of a national movement, saying that it is scripting history under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi.

    “It is a movement that has called for a decisive war against the back-breaking inflation, unemployment, intolerable economic and social inequality, and the politics of hatred in the country,” he said The biggest success of this journey is that the Bharat Jodo Yatra has taken the form of a national mass movement, he said.

    He also said it is the duty of Congress persons to fight against ruling forces that sow “seeds of hatred” and “reap fruits of division”.

    This is our ‘rashtradharm’, he added.

    Besides Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel, general secretary in-charge organisation Venugopal, senior leaders P Chidambaram, Anand Sharma, Meira Kumar and Ambika Soni were among those who attended the meeting.

    Rahul Gandhi did not attend the meeting due to the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is set to enter Rajasthan on Sunday evening.

    Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also not present at the meeting.

  • Bharat Jodo Yatra set to enter Rajasthan this evening; party workers to accord grand welcome 

    By PTI

    JHALAWAR: The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra is all set to enter Congress-ruled Rajasthan Sunday evening amid excitement among party workers and a well-coordinated attempt to paper over differences between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.

    Gandhi and his fellow yatris will be given a grand reception at Chanwli Chauraha, approximately 40-km from Jhalawar city, in the traditional Rajasthani culture when they enter the state from the Hindi-heartland state of Madhya Pradesh.

    Chanwli is the last village sharing border with Madhya Pradesh’s Agar-Malwa district.

    Local villagers have already swelled up at the venue.

    They have rolled out green carpet, set up a stage, and arranged drums and DJ systems to give their leader and his companions on the 3570-km yatra a grand welcome.

    A large number of party workers carrying party flags have reached the venue.

    Roads leading to the venue are lined on both sides with welcome hoardings, and banners of Chief Minister Gehot and his former deputy Pilot.

    Posters of local leaders have also been put up.

    The administration has made tight security arrangements with police personnel from different areas pulled in to cover the entire venue.

    The yatra will enter the state at Jhalawar, a BJP stronghold, and is scheduled to cover a distance of 500 km in 17 days.

    This is the first time that the yatra, which began from Kanyakumari on September 8, is entering a Congress-ruled state.

    Ahead of the yatra entering their state, Gehlot and Pilot, who have differences and have been in a tug of war for the CM’s post, presented a united face.

    Dismissing apprehensions that the infighting may affect the Yatra’s Rajasthan leg, Pilot on Sunday told PTI that the party’s state unit is “fully united” and focussed on ensuring that the Yatra is even more successful than it has been in other states.

    The yatra will only add to the efforts towards the next election in 12 months’ time, the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister said.

    The Gehlot government has also pacified Gurjar leader Vijay Singh Bainsla, who had threatened to disrupt the yatra over his pending demand regarding reservation and other issues with the state government, by holding a series of meetings on the issues recently.

    Bainsla has withdrawn his protest against the yatra.

    State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said all preparations have been completed in Jhalawar.

    “We all are ready to welcome the Bharat Jodo Yatra today. All preparations have been completed. It will be a historic yatra in the state. Besides party workers, there is great enthusiasm among the people of the state for this yatra,” he said.

    Jhalawar is a BJP stronghold having the influence of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.  She represents Jhalrapatan assembly constituency of Jhalawar.

    All four assembly constituencies in this district are with the BJP and Raje’s son Dushyant Singh is MP from the Jhalawar Lok Sabha seat.

    A day before the entry of the yatra, Pilot had issued a video on his social media platforms to welcome Gandhi.

    “Entire Rajasthan is ready to join Rahul ji’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Are you coming?” Pilot said in the video.

    The video showed him tying shoelaces, stretching his body, fixing his spectacles and running as more people joined him.

    According to the officials’ plan, Gandhi will start the Rajasthan leg of the yatra on Monday at 6 am from Kali Talai.

    He will reach the Bali Borda chauraha at 10 am after covering a distance of 14 km.

    After lunch, the yatra will resume from Nahardi at 3.30 pm and will reach Chandrabhaga Chauraha at 6.30 pm.

    The Congress leader will have a corner meeting at Chandrabhaga chauraha in the evening.

    The night stay will be in the sports complex of Jhalawar.

    Gandhi will cover nearly 500 km in the state traversing through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts before entering Haryana on December 21.

    Gandhi is scheduled to hold a dialogue with farmers at Lalsot in Dausa on December 15 and address a public rally in Alwar’s Malakheda on December 19.

    JHALAWAR: The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra is all set to enter Congress-ruled Rajasthan Sunday evening amid excitement among party workers and a well-coordinated attempt to paper over differences between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.

    Gandhi and his fellow yatris will be given a grand reception at Chanwli Chauraha, approximately 40-km from Jhalawar city, in the traditional Rajasthani culture when they enter the state from the Hindi-heartland state of Madhya Pradesh.

    Chanwli is the last village sharing border with Madhya Pradesh’s Agar-Malwa district.

    Local villagers have already swelled up at the venue.

    They have rolled out green carpet, set up a stage, and arranged drums and DJ systems to give their leader and his companions on the 3570-km yatra a grand welcome.

    A large number of party workers carrying party flags have reached the venue.

    Roads leading to the venue are lined on both sides with welcome hoardings, and banners of Chief Minister Gehot and his former deputy Pilot.

    Posters of local leaders have also been put up.

    The administration has made tight security arrangements with police personnel from different areas pulled in to cover the entire venue.

    The yatra will enter the state at Jhalawar, a BJP stronghold, and is scheduled to cover a distance of 500 km in 17 days.

    This is the first time that the yatra, which began from Kanyakumari on September 8, is entering a Congress-ruled state.

    Ahead of the yatra entering their state, Gehlot and Pilot, who have differences and have been in a tug of war for the CM’s post, presented a united face.

    Dismissing apprehensions that the infighting may affect the Yatra’s Rajasthan leg, Pilot on Sunday told PTI that the party’s state unit is “fully united” and focussed on ensuring that the Yatra is even more successful than it has been in other states.

    The yatra will only add to the efforts towards the next election in 12 months’ time, the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister said.

    The Gehlot government has also pacified Gurjar leader Vijay Singh Bainsla, who had threatened to disrupt the yatra over his pending demand regarding reservation and other issues with the state government, by holding a series of meetings on the issues recently.

    Bainsla has withdrawn his protest against the yatra.

    State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said all preparations have been completed in Jhalawar.

    “We all are ready to welcome the Bharat Jodo Yatra today. All preparations have been completed. It will be a historic yatra in the state. Besides party workers, there is great enthusiasm among the people of the state for this yatra,” he said.

    Jhalawar is a BJP stronghold having the influence of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.  She represents Jhalrapatan assembly constituency of Jhalawar.

    All four assembly constituencies in this district are with the BJP and Raje’s son Dushyant Singh is MP from the Jhalawar Lok Sabha seat.

    A day before the entry of the yatra, Pilot had issued a video on his social media platforms to welcome Gandhi.

    “Entire Rajasthan is ready to join Rahul ji’s Bharat Jodo Yatra. Are you coming?” Pilot said in the video.

    The video showed him tying shoelaces, stretching his body, fixing his spectacles and running as more people joined him.

    According to the officials’ plan, Gandhi will start the Rajasthan leg of the yatra on Monday at 6 am from Kali Talai.

    He will reach the Bali Borda chauraha at 10 am after covering a distance of 14 km.

    After lunch, the yatra will resume from Nahardi at 3.30 pm and will reach Chandrabhaga Chauraha at 6.30 pm.

    The Congress leader will have a corner meeting at Chandrabhaga chauraha in the evening.

    The night stay will be in the sports complex of Jhalawar.

    Gandhi will cover nearly 500 km in the state traversing through Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar districts before entering Haryana on December 21.

    Gandhi is scheduled to hold a dialogue with farmers at Lalsot in Dausa on December 15 and address a public rally in Alwar’s Malakheda on December 19.

  • Sonia Gandhi will march with son Rahul in Rajasthan on her birthday, Dec 9 

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi will march with her son on her birthday on December 9. She will be joined by her daughter Priyanka Gandhi and other family members at the Kota-leg of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra. 

    The Yatra will enter the state capital Rajasthan from Jhalawar on December 4. Jhalawar is considered the bastion of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The march will then reach Kota, the parliamentary segment represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. 

    Caught unawares ☺️ pic.twitter.com/9x1Tij1JDC
    — Sonia Gandhi (@SoniaGandhi_FC) October 7, 2022
    Ravindra Tyagi, the President of Kota City Congress Committee and Kota Convenor of this Yatra, said that “Sonia Gandhi’s program has been fixed. The party has started preparations for it. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former PCC Chief Sachin Pilot and many other leaders including current PCC Chief Govind Singh Dotasara will also be camping in Kota division during this period.

    Congress leaders say that on December 9, Rahul Gandhi’s journey will start from Kota RTO (Regional Transport Office). Sonia Gandhi will accompany her son for a while.   

    Earlier, Sonia Gandhi had joined the yatra in Mandya in Karnataka. 

    The relevance of Sonia Gandhi’s presence in Rajasthan would be that it’s a Congress-ruled state where Assembly elections are due in December next year. The bitter feud between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, though for now patched up, is another reason that all eyes will be on the yatra in Rajasthan.

    पूरा राजस्थान राहुल जी की #BharatJodoYatra से जुड़ रहा है, क्या आप आ रहे हैं ? pic.twitter.com/4AG9PYIbqA
    — Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) December 3, 2022
    With the mediation of Congress General Secretary Organization KC Venugopal, the ongoing tussle between Gehlot and former Deputy CM Pilot has been buried for the timebeing.

    Pilot has released a video inviting the people of Rajasthan to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra.  In this video, he is seen running with children wearing Bharat Jodo Yatra T-shirts.  It can be seen in the video that where they stop, there is a poster of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.  Standing under this big hoarding, Sachin Pilot gives the message, “the whole of Rajasthan is joining Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, are you coming?”

    The Yatra will cover a total of 521 km distance in Rajasthan. 

    JAIPUR: Former Congress President Sonia Gandhi will march with her son on her birthday on December 9. She will be joined by her daughter Priyanka Gandhi and other family members at the Kota-leg of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra. 

    The Yatra will enter the state capital Rajasthan from Jhalawar on December 4. Jhalawar is considered the bastion of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. The march will then reach Kota, the parliamentary segment represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. 

    Caught unawares ☺️
     pic.twitter.com/9x1Tij1JDC
    — Sonia Gandhi (@SoniaGandhi_FC) October 7, 2022
    Ravindra Tyagi, the President of Kota City Congress Committee and Kota Convenor of this Yatra, said that “Sonia Gandhi’s program has been fixed. The party has started preparations for it. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former PCC Chief Sachin Pilot and many other leaders including current PCC Chief Govind Singh Dotasara will also be camping in Kota division during this period.

    Congress leaders say that on December 9, Rahul Gandhi’s journey will start from Kota RTO (Regional Transport Office). Sonia Gandhi will accompany her son for a while.   

    Earlier, Sonia Gandhi had joined the yatra in Mandya in Karnataka. 

    The relevance of Sonia Gandhi’s presence in Rajasthan would be that it’s a Congress-ruled state where Assembly elections are due in December next year. The bitter feud between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, though for now patched up, is another reason that all eyes will be on the yatra in Rajasthan.

    पूरा राजस्थान राहुल जी की #BharatJodoYatra से जुड़ रहा है, क्या आप आ रहे हैं ? pic.twitter.com/4AG9PYIbqA
    — Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) December 3, 2022
    With the mediation of Congress General Secretary Organization KC Venugopal, the ongoing tussle between Gehlot and former Deputy CM Pilot has been buried for the timebeing.

    Pilot has released a video inviting the people of Rajasthan to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra.  In this video, he is seen running with children wearing Bharat Jodo Yatra T-shirts.  It can be seen in the video that where they stop, there is a poster of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.  Standing under this big hoarding, Sachin Pilot gives the message, “the whole of Rajasthan is joining Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, are you coming?”

    The Yatra will cover a total of 521 km distance in Rajasthan.