new Delhi: On Saturday, Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra lit up the streets of the national capital even before the sun’s rays lit up the city.
On arrival from Haryana, the yatra was greeted with an overwhelming response at the Badarpur border, where Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the walkathon, called it a “message of love”.
,I want to open a shop of love in the market of hate (In the market of hate I want to open a shop of love),” Rahul said, amid thunderous applause from Congress workers and people who had been queuing up since 5 am.
Delhi roads became choke-o-block as the crowd made their way to the Jairam Bhramachari Ashram in South Delhi, where the walkathon would have its morning break. For the first time since the yatra began 108 days ago, Rahul’s entire family joined together on the way. He was accompanied by mother and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, her husband Robert Vadra and children, Miraya and Rehaan.
Jairam Bhramachari Ashram was built by a former NSUI activist who chose Vaishnavism. During the break, the party announced that Rahul would pay homage at the memorial of former PM and BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee along with Mahatma Gandhi, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
But the yatra was later rescheduled for Sunday, as the yatra ended late on Saturday. Rahul’s visit to the former PM’s memorial will be the first by the Gandhi family after Vajpayee’s demise in 2018.
As the yatra resumed after the morning break, the streets of central Delhi leading up to the Red Fort turned into a sea of faces.
Soon, Tamil Nadu politician and film superstar Kamal Haasan joined the yatra. The yatra finally reached its climax, the Red Fort, much ahead of schedule.
There, Haasan said that he had blurred party lines to support Rahul in his endeavour.
In what will be a historic shot, Rahul addressed a massive crowd at the Red Fort, where traditionally only prime ministers have addressed the nation.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra will take a nine-day break before the last month of the yatra in January. ThePrint brings you glimpses of the Delhi leg of the yatra.
