Rahul Gandhi to speak less, listen more during Bharat Jodo Yatra

The Congress has said the party’s Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra that Rahul Gandhi will lead from Kanyakumari on September 7 will not be a “speaking yatra (march)” but a yatra that will listen to the problems of people.

“The Bharat Jodo Yatra is not a speaking yatra. Rahul Gandhi is not going to give speeches, he is going to listen. This is a public, open, transparent exercise,” party spokesman Jairam Ramesh said at an official briefing where the “yatra anthem” was released. There will be “no Mann Ki Baat”, “no dramas” and “no teleprompter”, he said.

Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK leader MK Stalin, Congress chief ministers Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel and Congress Working Committee members will attend the yatra launch function at Kanyakumari on September 7, where Gandhi will be handed over a national flag, Ramesh said. Gandhi and his fellow yatris will walk 22-23 kilometres per day, 3.30 hrs in the mornings for jan sampark (public outreach) and three hours in the evenings for mass mobilisation, he said.


Ramesh said the Congress is united, with everyone fully focused on contributing to the yatra. Stressing that “the Congress is a democratic party”, he said anybody is free to contest the Congress presidential elections and in the event of a contest, arrangements would be made at Karnataka PCC headquarters for the transiting designated 118 Bharat Yatris to cast their votes on October 17.