HIRIYUR (K’taka), Oct 10: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi walked in the rain during the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra on Monday as hundreds of people raised slogans in his favour.
Soon after Gandhi started the journey from this small town in Karnataka’s Tumkur district following a brief halt for lunch, heavy rain greeted him even as the former Congress chief and the other yatris continued their onward journey.
Gandhi had addressed a public rally on the outskirts of Mysuru in torrential rains last week and concluded his speech, saying “nothing can stop us”.
Hundreds of people had lined up along the roads here despite the heavy showers to greet Gandhi as they shouted slogans amid the beating of drums by traditional folk artistes.
“…. The showers have not stopped this yatra…. Heat, storm, cold cannot stop this yatra. This river-like journey will persist and in this river, you will not find any trace of hatred or violence. There will only be love and fraternity as in India’s DNA,” Gandhi had told an enthusiastic crowd in Mysuru last week.
In the afternoon, a drenched Gandhi continued to walk, wearing a white T-shirt, a blue pair of trousers and light blue sneakers. He was accompanied by other leaders, including Randeep Surjewala and Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar.
The overnight rains had flooded the venue for the afternoon halt here.
As Gandhi walked on the wet roads in Tumkur district, Congress leaders made special arrangements to dry up the camp site at Hiriyur in rural Karnataka.
Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Surjewala was seen atop a truck, offloading sand and mortar to pave the way for the yatris to enter the camp site, which was flooded.
The yatris, along with Gandhi, started the day’s journey from Pochkatte and had their first break at Kenkere, Huliyar in Tumkur after walking 11 km.
Gandhi resumed his yatra from Hiriyur after crossing a forest area and reached Sri Veeranjeneya Maatarani and Kedareshwara Sannidi after walking another 10 km. He finally halted at Harthikote village in Hiriyur. (PTI)
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