Bharat Jodo Yatra: Gandhi family marches together, Kamal Haasan joins Yatra

As Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Delhi on Saturday morning thousands joined party leader Rahul Gandhi on the foot march.

Senior leaders including Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, Randeep Surjewala, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Kumar Selja were seen walking with Gandhi in the national capital.

Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary received Rahul Gandhi and other yatris at the Badarpur border early Saturday morning amid 'Rahul Zindabad' chants.

Gandhi's sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and their mother Sonia Gandhi too joined the Yatra along with Priyanka's children and her husband Robert Vadra.

Earlier, Sonia Gandhi had joined the march in October in Karnataka. The sibling duo visited Jairam Ashram when the Yatra halted at Ashram Chowk on Saturday.

Rahul tweeted a photo embracing his mother Sonia Gandhi with a caption that read, 'The love that I have received from here is what I am spreading through the country.' The Congress posted the same photo as well.

Meanwhile, veteran actor Kamaal Haasan also marched with Rahul Gandhi on Saturday. Haasan had earlier appealed to Tamilians in New Delhi to join Rahul Gandhi on the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

He said, 'Rahul Gandhi referred to me as a fellow citizen & not a political party's chief in his invitation. This is a walk for the Country. It is beyond political parties.'

In an address to party workers and leaders, Gandhi stated that his yatra's aim is to open a 'mohabbat ki dukaan' (shop of love) amid a 'nafrat ka bazaar' (market of hatred).

He said, 'Common man of the country is now talking about love. In every state, lakhs have joined the yatra. I have told people of RSS and BJP that we are here to open shop of love in your 'bazar' of hatred.'

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The purpose of his yatra is to showcase 'real Hindustan' where people help each other, he added.

'They (BJP, RSS) spread hatred, we (Congress) spread love,' he said.

Earlier, when Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya wrote to Rahul Gandhi asking Covid protocols to be followed during Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi had retorted saying, 'The BJP is taking out yatras in various states. But the Health Minister is sending letter only to us.'

He cited Prime Minister Modi's recent poll campaign in Gujarat and the BJP's 'Jan Akrish Yatra' in Rajasthan.

Congress had alleged that the BJP had made attempts to defame Rahul Gandhi and derail the yatra somehow but had failed to do so.

It added that people from across the country including Delhi are extending their overwhelming support.

"Covid and health are serious issues and the BJP should not make them a tool of their politics," AICC media and publicity in-charge Pawan Khera told reporters at the Ashram Chowk.

"If you have the courage to stop the Yatra, do so. We will follow all rules and protocols, if any with regard to Covid."

The foot march which has already covered over 3,000 kilometres will halt at Red Fort, taking a nine-day year-end break.

It will resume on January 3 from Delhi to culminate in Jammu and Kashmir in January end.