The Congress on Thursday announced that it will embark on its 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' on October 2 under the leadership of the party's former president, Rahul Gandhi. 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' will be a 148-day-long yatra, which will be undertaken from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.
The party also discussed its strategy in the forthcoming Monsoon Session which was chaired by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and attended by the party MPs. The Congress Parliamentary Strategy Committee group decided on issues to be raised during the upcoming session. “We have decided to give priority to issues of LPG and price rise that affect the common people.
We will also raise the issue of Agnipath scheme of army recruitment in the upcoming session,” Congress senior leader and Leader of Opposition Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge told mediapersons after the meeting. The Monsoon session of Parliament will begin on July 18 and continue till August 12.
Among other issues to be raised include unemployment, the falling value of the Rupee and the economic situation in the country. The party will also seek a discussion in Parliament on the Chinese transgressions along the border in eastern Ladakh.
The Congress will seek answers from the government on the demands of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, which spearheaded the agitation against the now-scrapped farm laws, and the setting up of a committee on MSP.
The meeting was attended by most of the MPs including Kharge, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh, K Suresh, and Manickam Tagore.
The final touching points of the Bharat Jodo Yatra was discussed at the meeting at Congress' headquarters attended by party general secretary in-charges, state in-charges and PCC presidents. However, Rahul skipped the meeting as he is on a short personal visit abroad.
The first meeting of the Central Planning Group for Bharat Jodo Yatra took place on July Monday which was attended by Rahul Gandhi. Sources in the party said Rahul is likely to return by Sunday, ahead of the Presidential election and the Monsoon session of Parliament on July 18.
Congress General Secretary Organisation KC Venugopal, AICC Treasurer Pawan Bansal, AICC General Secretary Mukul Wasnik, Ajay Maken, Randeep Surjewala, Bhawar Jitendra Singh and Rajya Sabha MP and AICC in-charge of Delhi Shaktisinh Gohil also attended the meet.
Sonia had announced the mass campaign to counter “polarization” politics with the slogan "Bharat Jodo" on May 16-- the last day of the Congress-led Chintan Shivir in Rajasthan's Udaipur.
The yatra will include padayatras, rallies, and public meetings, which will be attended by the Congress top brass including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Every day 25 kilometres of padyatra will be undertaken.