Rahul Gandhi, Kharge, Priyanka React As Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra Turns Two

New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday hailed the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra, saying the Kanyakumari-Kashmir march was a "massive booster dose" for the party and a historic mass movement which became synonymous with uniting the society.

On the second anniversary of the launch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the yatra proved that Indians were inherently loving people and "today our mission remains to ensure that the voice of love is heard in every corner of the country".

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the distance covered on foot by Rahul Gandhi and Bharat Jodo Yatris from Kanyakumari to Kashmir awakened an unprecedented public consciousness of love, mutual harmony and brotherhood in the hearts of crores of people.

"On the occasion of the second anniversary of Bharat Jodo Yatra, I only appeal to the people of the country to continue the struggle to preserve the Constitution and democracy," Kharge said in a post in Hindi.

"Our struggle continues on the real issues of economic inequalities, inflation, unemployment, social injustice, destruction of the Constitution, centralization of power," the Congress chief said.

The resolve to protect our constitutional values "of justice, freedom, equality and brotherhood must be stronger", he said.

"We will not let the agenda of hatred and division succeed. The victory of love and humanity is certain. The Congress Party will not stop, it will not pause. The voice of Mother India is our voice," he said.

"As the Bharat Jodo Yatra marks a milestone, we celebrate the resilient tapestry of unity and inclusivity it has woven across India's diverse landscapes," Kharge said.

"Let us reaffirm our commitment to justice and a brighter future, where every thread counts and every voice matters," he said.

Posting a video montage of the yatra on X, Gandhi said, "The Bharat Jodo Yatra taught me the beauty of silence. In the midst of cheering crowds and slogans, I discovered the power to tune out the noise and focus entirely on the person next to me -- to truly listen."

"In those 145 days, and the two years since, I've listened to thousands of Indians from diverse backgrounds. Each voice has carried wisdom, teaching me something new, and each has represented our beloved Bharat Mata," the former Congress chief said.

The yatra proved that Indians are inherently loving people, he said.

"When I started this journey I said love will conquer hate and hope will defeat fear, today our mission remains the same -- to ensure the voice of Bharat Mata, the voice of love is heard in every corner of our beloved country," Gandhi said, using the hashtag 'Bharat judne tak'.

In a post in Hindi on X, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said two years ago on this day, Bharat Jodo Yatra was started for the colours of 'unity in diversity'.

"(It was started) To listen to the voices of sufferings of crores of Indians, to spread awareness against economic injustice, to spread the message of love against hatred, to spread the message of love and brotherhood, to unite 140 crore Indians, to open shops to spread love in the market of hate, to assure the people of the country that this second phase of 'divide and rule' will also pass and only our unity, harmony and goodwill will make us strong," she said.

"Bharat Jodo Yatra is a mission of Rahul Gandhi to unite the country -- which continues even today," Priyanka Gandhi added.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir was a "massive booster dose" for the party and heralded a change in the country's politics.

"Today is the 2nd anniversary of the start of the truly transformational Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra. Over 200 Bharat Yatris led by Rahul Gandhi completed the 4000 km long yatra, overwhelmingly on foot, over a period of 145 days and covering 12 states and 2 UTs," Ramesh said.

"This yatra led to unprecedented connectivity and collectivity and was a massive booster dose for the Indian National Congress. It heralded a change in the politics of our country as well," he said.

It provided the impetus for the Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra during January and March 2024, Ramesh added.

The Congress, in a post on X, said that as the Bharat Jodo Yatra marks a milestone, "we celebrate the resilient tapestry of unity & inclusivity it has woven across India's diverse landscapes".

"Let us reaffirm our commitment to justice & a brighter future, where every thread counts & every voice matters," the party said.

In another post, the Congress said, "Today and every day, we celebrate the unstoppable spirit of Bharat Jodo Yatra and its unwavering commitment to a united India!" Gandhi launched the yatra from Kanyakumari on September 7, 2022. It culminated on January 30, 2023, as he capped the ambitious 145-day journey in Srinagar.

During the course of the march, Gandhi addressed 12 public meetings, more than 100 street corner meetings and 13 press conferences. He had over 275 planned walking interactions and more than 100 sitting interactions.

With more than 4,000 kilometres under his belt, Gandhi managed to catch the attention of his supporters as well as detractors. The march witnessed participation from a cross-section of society, including film and TV celebrities such as Kamal Haasan, Pooja Bhatt, Riya Sen, Swara Bhasker, Rashami Desai, Akanksha Puri and Amol Palekar.

Besides, writers and military veterans, including former Army chief Gen (Retd) Deepak Kapoor and ex-Navy chief Admiral (Retd) L Ramdas, and noted people such as former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan and ex-finance secretary Arvind Mayaram also participated in the yatra.

Opposition leaders such as the National Conference's Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, People's Democratic Party's Mehbooba Mufti, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Sanjay Raut, and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Supriya Sule also walked alongside Gandhi at various points during the march.