On the roads of Punjab despite dense fog and cold since Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ on Monday virtually turned into an impressive display of “women power” as the “fair sex” joined to give him a “fair chance”.
Dedicating the day to “women empowerment”, Rahul Gandhi was joined by hundreds of women on Monday morning as he resumed his much-talked-about yatra from Kala Bakra village in Jalandhar after 7 am on the fifth day of its Punjab leg.
From politicians to their wives, from college students to school-going girls to elderly, from lawyers to municipal counsellors, from ASHA workers to MGNERGA workers — women from all walks of life marched along with Rahul Gandhi. Prominent among them was Dr Navjot Kaur — former MLA and wife of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu — who joined the yatra along with her son and daughter.
Rahul Gandhi also interacted with a large number of girl students — both from schools and colleges — discussing their education, their ambitions, and difficulties, while giving them a patient hearing. The exhilaration, as well as elation, on their faces, were visible.
Sending a strong message, the MGNREGA workers and ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists) were also invited to join the walk on the day that was dedicated to “women empowerment”. Notably, the ASHAs played a significant role during the COVID-19 period. The Congress leader also discussed the job related issues with the ASHAs and MGNREGA workers during the walk.
Besides, several female Congress leaders and activists also joined the yatra. All India Mahila Congress national coordinator and Jalandhar Municipal Corporation’s counsellor Dr Jasleen Sethi also participated in the yatra, along with a team of 60 women.
Before resuming Bharat Jodo Yatra from Jalandhar, Rahul Gandhi visited a temple, with several Congress leaders, including state party president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, accompanying him.
Also, Indian Air Force’s former fighter pilot Rajiv Tyagi joined him in the morning leg. The afternoon session started from Kharal Kalan, and entered Hoshiarpur district in the evening. It will halt for the night at Urmar Tanda where Rahul Gandhi also addressed a rally. The yatra’s Punjab leg began on Wednesday from Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib.
Rahul Gandhi also met Swaran Kaur — the sister of late politician, social reformer, and the founder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Kanshi Ram, and Kanshi Ram Foundation’s president Lakhbir Singh.
The march, which started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, will conclude in Srinagar on January 30, with Rahul Gandhi hoisting the national flag there. It has, so far, covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
On Saturday, the march was suspended for 24 hours in view of Congress’s Jalandhar MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary’s sudden demise. The MP had suffered a cardiac arrest during the yatra. He was cremated at his native Dhaliwal village in Jalandhar on Sunday.
The march had resumed on Sunday afternoon in Jalandhar and slain Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala’s father Balkaur Singh joined Rahul Gandhi.
Sidhu’s Wife Joins RaGA
Former MLA and Congress leader Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of cricketer-turned-politician and former Congress Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, on Monday joined the evening leg of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kharal Kalan in Jalandhar district, along with her son Karan Sidhu. Rahul Gandhi was seen walking along with Dr Sidhu, and even holding her hand.
Notably, Sidhu, who is currently undergoing one-year imprisonment in 1988’s road rage case, shared good relations with the Gandhi siblings — Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The Gandhi duo elevated Sidhu as the party’s Punjab unit chief while ignoring the strong opposition by the then Chief Minister and party veteran Capt Amarinder Singh.
The development come amidst the reports that Sidhu may be released prematurely as the jail authorities have reportedly sent his case for remission on the occasion of Republic Day (January 26). However, the reports have not been confirmed by anyone from the State Government.
Don’t Be “Remote-Controlled” From Delhi: RaGA to Mann
Hitting out at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Rahul Gandhi asked the AAP leader not to “come under the pressure” of Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal. “You are the Chief Minister of Punjab. You should run Punjab from Punjab. You should not come under the pressure of Delhi, under the pressure of Arvind Kejriwal. This is a matter of honour for Punjab. You must work independently. You should not become a remote control for anyone,” Rahul Gandhi told Mann, while addressing a gathering at Hoshiarpur.
Yatra to Conclude on Thu in Punjab
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said that the yatra would enter Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday. On Thursday, however, there will be a rally at Pathankot in Punjab and from there the Yatra will enter Jammu and Kashmir the same day after walking for six kms.
As the yatra’s Punjab leg is nearing its end, Rahul Gandhi shared his feelings regarding the time he spent in the state in a candid Facebook post. “Even nature’s gifts must be nurtured and worked upon for them to yield benefits. It is the tapasya of the people of Punjab that has turned this land of great opportunity into a land of prosperity, over time. As I walk through this remarkable state, every heart I connect with has a common story to tell, a story of relentless efforts to put at the country’s interests, a story of true love for India,” he wrote.