Mallikarjun Kharge invites 21 like-minded parties to join concluding function of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday invited top leaders of 21 ‘likeminded’ Opposition parties — including Trinamool, SP, BSP, and TDP chiefs with whom Congress shares tumultuous ties — to join the concluding function of Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar on January 30.

Deve Gowda’s JDS, TRS and AAP are not among the invitees. Kharge in his invitation letter wrote: “I now invite you to personally join the concluding function of the Bharat Jodo Yatra to be held in Srinagar on January 30.

The function is dedicated to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi, who lost his life on this day in his tireless struggle against the ideology of hatred and violence.


At this event, we will commit ourselves to fighting hatred and violence…to defend the constitutional values of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice for all… I hope you will participate and further strengthen its message.”

Barring some allies, including DMK, NCP and Shiv Sena (Uddhav), leaders of most of the socalled like-mindedOpposition parties, including Trinamool, TRS, AAP, SP and BSP, have stayed away from the yatra. Jammu and Kashmir parties NC and PDP have already stated they will attend the Srinagar event. Joining the political row in Tamil Nadu between the DMK-led government and governor RN Ravi, Kharge accused the BJP leadership of using governors as party karyakartas (workers) in the Opposition-ruled states.

“BJP’s deliberate design to denigrate the constitutional office of governors by using them as ‘karyakartas’ in the states ruled by opposition is an assault on democracy. Brazen overstepping of the Constitution by a few governors recently has sullied the federal structure of our polity,” Kharge said in a post on Twitter