Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul Gandhi enters Telangana, walks 4 km, takes Diwali break

HYDERABAD: Congress party leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, who is on 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' entered Telangana on Sunday from Raichur district in Karnataka. The countrywide footmarch entered the state at Krishna Check post near Gudeballur in Narayanpet District at around 10 am. The padayatra continued for only one hour after covering around four kilometres in Telangana. It came to a halt at Tyrod at 11 am as Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to Delhi to take a break for Diwali.

"Bharat Jodo Yatra was undertaken with motto of binding the country together. The BJP and the RSS are conspiring to divide the country," said Rahul Gandhi after completing his first day of padayatra in Telangana.

Owing to Diwali, Rahul Gandhi will return to Delhi and is set to resume his padayatra in Telangana from October 27, lasting for 12 days and covering a distance of 375 km. A routemap has been chalked out in such a way that the Gandhi scion, on average, will walk five kilometres in a day. Besides meeting people in the evening, corner meetings are also being arranged. For the first time, the padayatra is set to pass through a metro city. The former AICC president will walk along some of the main arteries of Hyderabad on November 1 and 2. On November 7, the padayatra will enter Maharashtra from Telangana at Madnoor Mandal Shakhapur in Jukkal Constituency.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has formed 13 committees to make the Bharat Jodo Yatra a success in the state. These committees will work under the leadership of Rammohan Reddy.

As per the approval of these committees, corner meetings and cultural programmes will be organized every day. Corner meetings will be held at Gummalla, Manyamkonda, Jadcherla Cross, Annaram Gate, Peddashapur Cross, Hyderabad Necklace Road, Muthangi, Shivvampeta, Peddapur, Mahadevpally and Shakapur.

The yatra will continue across seven districts, seven parliamentary constituencies and 17 Assembly segments. Extensive arrangements have already been made for the trip. As requested by TPCC, the Telangana Police has also arranged heavy security as per the request of the TPCC. Congress leaders expect that this Yatra might also help them in the upcoming Munugode Assembly by-election.