Rourkela: After a rousing welcome at Biramitrapur, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed his Odisha leg of Bharat Joda Nyay Yatra on Wednesday with 3.4-km-long padayatra from Uditnagar to Panposh Chhak in Rourkela city.
According to sources, he visited Vedvyas Temple along with AICC in-charge Ajoy Kumar and OPCC President Sarat Patnaik before addressing the public at Panposh Chhak. The Gandhi scion offered prayers and performed rituals at the temple, which is dedicated to the sage Veda Vyasa, who is believed to have composed the Mahabharata and the Vedas.
#WATCH | Odisha: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visits and offers prayers at Vedvyas temple in Rourkela, Sundargarh. pic.twitter.com/bFzHT9b7Dg
— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2024
Rahul is scheduled to take a lunch break at Bisra Munda Ground at Ranibandh and attend two more gatherings at Kutra and Baragaon later in the afternoon.
Thereafter, he will resume his yatra from Ranibandh and address a rally at Rajgangpur. He will undertake another 1-km padayatra in Sundargarh town from Bus Stand Chhak Sundargarh via Stadium Chhak to SBI Chhak, following which he will address another public meeting, before retiring for the night at Amlipali Ground in Jharsuguda.
On Thursday, Rahul will resume his yatra from Old Bus Stand in Jharsuguda and later address a rally. After lunch, he will resume his yatra from Kanaktora in Jharsuguda and then enter Chhattisgarh.
Biramitrapur was decked up with banners, cut-outs and hoardings and colourfully attired tribal dancers swayed to the beats of drums as Rahul entered the small industrial town in an open jeep with people throwing flower petals on him on Tuesday. Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh Thakur handed over the national flag to Odisha Congress President Sarat Pattanayak on the occasion. “We have taken up the flag of justice to fight injustice. Together we have decided that we will keep moving forward until we get our right to justice. Many thanks to the people of Odisha for the enthusiastic welcome,” the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’s handle posted on X.
Rahul also interacted with the people and accepted their greetings. “I am happy to be here. I will be here in Odisha for another two to three days. I will listen to all of you for nearly seven to eight hours. You should come up and tell me about your grievances. If there are any local issues, I will try to sort them out,” he said.
His entry through Sundargarh district assumes significance as the area considered as the bastion of the BJP. Former Union minister Jual Oram represents the Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat.
In Odisha, the yatra will cover around 200 km in the two western districts of Sundargarh and Jharsuguda.
Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which began in Manipur on January 14, will conclude in Mumbai on March 20, covering about 15 states.
