Bengaluru, 27 September 2024 – Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar told a gathering of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee on Wednesday that the Bharat Jodo Yatra, spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi, was a historic movement that sparked a wave of change across the country.
Speaking on the occasion of the yatra’s fifth anniversary, the chief minister said the march allowed the Congress to grasp the real‑world challenges faced by youth, women and farmers. He quoted the rally’s message: “Bharat Jodo Yatra was not merely a Congress party programme. It was a historic message given to the entire country by our party leader Rahul Gandhi about the unity and integrity of the country, the pain of its people and the problems being faced by the people, youth, women and farmers, and the need to give them a new direction.”
Shivakumar recalled the Karnataka segment, which covered 511 km in 23 days and saw Sonia Gandhi taking part. He noted that during the trek Mallikarjun Kharge was elected AICC president and that Rahul Gandhi cast his vote in Ballari.
According to the chief minister, the direct interaction with citizens laid the groundwork for the state government’s five guarantee schemes, likening them to five fingers joining to form a strong hand.
In response to the youth‑focused agenda, the government is working to fill 72,000 government posts and has announced the creation of 10,000 Bharat Jodo youth associations across the state. Each association, open to people aged 16 to 35 for a fee of Rs 10, will operate at the panchayat level with 100‑250 members, promoting sports, national unity, the Constitution, culture and environmental protection. Within two days, about 7.8 lakh youngsters had registered online, a response the chief minister described as encouraging.
Shivakumar also proposed the formation of a Bharat Jodo Bhavan Trust and a training centre to impart knowledge on political leadership, the Constitution and Congress ideology. He urged party workers to gear up for upcoming local‑body elections, stressing that criticism may fade but the party’s work must endure. “Congress is the strength of this country. The history of Congress is the history of this country. If Congress comes to power, people from all sections will come to power,” he concluded, calling for robust support to Kharge and Rahul Gandhi.
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📰 Source: Sahil Online