Bharat Jodo Yatra: Congress holds yatra in city, Digvijaya, Sena, NCP leaders join in

Sawant charged the BJP with “spreading hate” and said it was trying to wrongly portray itself as the legatee of Hindutva. “They are trying to sow the seeds of division in the country,” he charged. “The constitution of the country is being hurt,” said Sawant

Mumbai: Putting up a united front against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena and other non-BJP forces joined the Congress in its one-day ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ organised on Sunday to mark Gandhi Jayanti.

Mumbai, India - Oct. 2, 2022: Congress, NCP, Shivsena and Samajwadi Party party workers and leaders participated in "Nafrat Chhodo, Bharat Jodo Yatra" from August Kranti Maidan to Gandhi Statue at Mantralaya, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, October 2, 2022. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is also part of the opposition- Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Left parties like the Communist Party of India (CPI), and 21 social organisations were also part of the march. This foot-march wound its way from Gowalia Tank from where Mahatma Gandhi launched his Quit India Movement in 1942, to the Gandhi statue near Mantralaya.

Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP from South Mumbai and party spokesperson, Manisha Kayande, Shiv Sena legislator, Pandurang Sapkal, the local vibhag pramukh, and former MLC Ravindra Mirlekar, were part of the Sena delegation.

Sawant charged the BJP with “spreading hate” and said it was trying to wrongly portray itself as the legatee of Hindutva. “They are trying to sow the seeds of division in the country,” he charged. “The constitution of the country is being hurt,” said Sawant.

Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh charged that parties like the BJP and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) were “trying to spread trouble and hatred in the country and conspiring to finish off democracy.” “The forces which want the country to remain united have joined forces,” he added while thanking Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray for his party’s participation.

Samajwadi Party (SP) Mumbai and Maharashtra president Abu Asim Azmi, CPI leader Prakash Reddy, NCP leader Rakhi Jadhav and those from the Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) also joined the march.

The Mahatma’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi was part of the exercise. Congress leaders from Mumbai like city unit chief Bhai Jagtap, Charan Singh Sapra and former ministers like Suresh Shetty, Aslam Shaikh and Varsha Gaikwad were also part of this show of strength.