Lucknow, Sep 6: Veteran Congress leaders in Uttar Pradesh have neither been informed nor invited to join leader Rahul Gandhi’s 3,570-km long ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, which begins on Wednesday.
The contingent from Uttar Pradesh mainly includes Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s personal secretary Sandip Singh, Amethi Seva Dal president Ram Baran Kashyap, UPCC minority department chairman Shahnawaz Alam, UPCC Fishermen Congress chairman Devendra Nishad and UPCC secretary (Unnao in-charge) Pratibha Atal Pal. A party leader said: “We have three categories of Yatris–Bharat Padyatri (who will accompany Rahul all along the route), guest Padyatri (who will join for a brief period), and state Padyatri (who will accompany Rahul in their respective states). There are 14 Bharat Yatris from Uttar Pradesh.”
Bharat Jodo Yatra is expected to reach the state at Bulandshahr from Rajasthan, and leave for Delhi on its way to Jammu and Kashmir.
As Bharat Jodo Yatra is expected to remain in the state for a brief period of two and half days, the party proposes to undertake four to five small yatras covering the length and breadth of the state, which will merge at Bulandshahr.
Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ said: “Yes, the state party will undertake smaller yatras in different regions to receive the main yatra in Bulandshahr. The main yatra will be undertaken in two parts with the first part to take place from 7 am to 10.30 am and cover 12 to 13 km.”
Meanwhile, veteran party leaders are upset, once again, at being ignored.
A former UPCC president said” “What is the point of remaining in a party that does not even recognize your presence? The least we expected was an invitation to attend the yatra at some point. The members of the contingent are all members of Priyanka’s coterie and if Congress wants to depend on them for the future, it is time we also moved on.”
