To the dismay of Bharatiya Janata Party, regional politicians of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir including Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti will join Indian National Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s program namely ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary, K C Venugopal, speaking to reporters in Srinagar said all like-minded people who don’t believe in the divisive politics of the BJP would join the march in IIOJK. He said Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami among others are joining the Rahul Gandhi’s program, terming the joining of IIOJK politicians as the happiest moment for all.
He said that the week-long march will start in IIOJK on January 22 and culminate on January 30. Venugopal said that the BJP was trying to stop Rahul Gandhi’s unity march by invoking the “drama of Covid protocol”. “The entire drama (Covid protocol) has been started to stop the Yatra. Flights are coming from China and there is no problem. There is no [India]-level protocol suggested by the WHO. Then why only target Rahul Gandhi and his Yatra,” he said, adding, Modi was holding public meetings but the BJP government was not talking about it.
Venugopal said the Yatra spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi was gaining momentum with each passing day, indicating that the people of India were against BJP’s divisive politics. He said the Yatra is aimed at sending a loud and clear message to divisive forces like BJP and Sangh Parivar who caused massive damage to India and its constitution.
Farooq Abdullah has praised Rahul Gandhi for the Yatra in his speeches and expressed desire to receive him personally at Lakhanpur in Kathua district of IIOJK, bordering India’s Punjab state. Commenting on her decision to join the Yatra, Mehbooba Mufti in a tweet said it is her duty to stand with someone who has the courage to challenge fascist forces.—KMS
