KANYAKUMARI: With just a few days left for the start of Bharat Jodo Yatra, which will cover 3,570 km in 150 days from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir, Congress functionaries and cadres are working round the clock to mobilise one lakh people.
Congress Kanniyakumari east district president KT Uthayam said Rahul Gandhi would arrive in Kanniyakumari by helicopter around 2 pm on September 7. After visiting Vivekananda Memorial Rock and Thiruvalluvar Statue, he would go to Gandhi Mandapam and Karmarajar Mandapam.
Chief Minister MK Stalin would flag off the yatra from Gandhi Mandapam. Rahul Gandhi will later participate in a public meeting at the beach ground at 4 pm.
Rahul Gandhi would start the yatra on September 8 from Agastheeswaram and halt at Nagercoil in the evening via Kottaram and Suchindram. On September 9, the yatra would begin from Nagercoil and end at Mulagumoodu via Chunkankadai, Villukuri and Thuckalay. The next day, it would resume from Mulagumoodu and end at the Kerala border at Paalachanvilai via Marthandam and Kaliyakkavilai. The yatra will reach Kerala on September 10.
Congress national secretary and mobilisation committee chairman Mayura S Jayakumar told TNIE that they were working to mobilise around 1 lakh people on the first day. “The aim is to unite the country and save the country from separatist forces,” he said.
Congress west district president Dr Binulal Singh said they were forming committees in each ward in village panchayats, town panchayats and municipalities to reach out to every household to spread awareness of the yatra.
“We started the work a month back and now we are intensifying it as only a few days are left for the yatra.”Killiyoor MLA S Rajesh Kumar said the yatra would highlight price-rise, unemployment and other issues.