Bengal BJP to take out 10-day Gandhi Sankalp Yatra from October 15

The BJP leadership in West Bengal will be taking out rallies across the state from October 15 to 26, as part of the party's nationwide 'Gandhi Sankalp Yatra' initiative to propagate the ideals of the Father of the Nation.

Addressing a press meet here on Sunday, BJP state unit chief Dilip Ghosh said party MPs, MLAs and panchayat pradhans will take part in the rallies, each of which will be preceded by a tableau projecting Mahatma Gandhi's contributions.

"The yatra was launched on October 2 elsewhere in the country, on the occasion of Gandhiji's 150th birth anniversary. Here, we had to postpone the date in view of the ongoing festive season," he said.


In all, the rallies will cover a distance of 6,500 km in the state over a period of 10 days," Ghosh stated, adding the administration would be informed about the yatra and its course in advance.

Asked if the party was anticipating any restriction by the state administration, Ghosh said, "This yatra is being taken out by the BJP to preach Gandhi's ideals of non-violence and cleanliness to the present generation."

"I think the ruling dispensation will not be opposed to the initiative. However, if there is any such development we will act accordingly," the BJP MP from Midnapore said.

The state government had last year slammed brakes on the saffron party's rath yatra, citing possible breakdown in law and order.

The upcoming yatra, Ghosh maintained, will boost the prime minister's 'Swachh Bharat Mission'.

To a question if it will also raise the issue of alleged killings of BJP party workers in Bengal, Ghosh said, "We are taking out separate rallies to protest the murder of democracy in the state."

"Only yesterday (Saturday), we organized a sit-in in the city against the spiralling political violence and the triple murder in Murshidabad's Jiaganj," the BJP state unit chief added.