Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, November 1 was joined by the mother of Rohith Vemula, a Dalit student of the University of Hyderabad who died by suicide in 2016 following alleged harassment, in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Hyderabad. Radhika Vemula walked with Gandhi briefly during the morning leg of the Yatra.
"Extended solidarity to Bharat Jodo Yatra, walked with Rahul Gandhi, and called upon Congress to save Constitution from BJP-RSS assault, Justice for Rohith Vemula, passing Rohith Act, increasing representation of Dalits, oppressed sections in higher judiciary, education for all," Radhika Vemula tweeted after the meeting.
The Congress from its official Twitter handle and several party leaders tweeted pictures of Radhika Vemula walking with Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The death of the 26-year-old Dalit student on January 17, 2016 triggered a nationwide agitation against casteism in institutions of higher learning.
Earlier on October 8, slain journalist Gauri Lankesh’s sister Kavitha and mother Indira Lankesh too met Rahul Gandhi and walked with him for a few minutes when the Yatra was passing through Karnataka. Speaking to TNM, Kavitha said that Rahul shared his experience of losing a family member to hate and violence. He spoke of how he coped with the death of his father Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India. “We had that in common and he spoke very candidly. He was very kind to me and my mother and after my mother walked for five minutes, he dropped her back to her car,” Kavitha said. He also enquired about the status of the trial in Gauri Lankesh’s murder and why she was targeted, she said.
Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Hyderabad on Tuesday to a huge response by the party cadres and supporters. After covering Narayanpet, Mahabubnagar and Rangareddy districts, the yatra entered Hyderabad on the seventh day of its journey in Telangana.
Rahul Gandhi along with other party leaders and workers resumed the walkathon from Matha temple at Shamshabad on the city outskirts and entered the city through Bangalore-Hyderabad highway. Congress MP and yatra coordinator for Telugu states Uttam Kumar Reddy, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, former MP Madhu Yaskhi Goud and other leaders along with hundreds of party workers were participating in the yatra.
The yatra will halt at Bahadurpura, where Rahul Gandhi will meet various groups and will have lunch and take rest. The foot march will resume in the evening and reach the historic Charminar after passing through Puranapul, Hussaini Alam and Khilwat. At the historic monument, Rahul Gandhi will hoist the national flag.
It was at the Charminar that Rahul Gandhi's late father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had launched Sadbhavana Yatra on October 19, 1990 for communal harmony in twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Every year, the Congress party organises Sadbhavana Yatra commemoration day at Charminar and presents awards to personalities working for peace and communal harmony.
From Charminar, Rahul Gandhi will lead the Bharat Jodo Yatra to Necklace Road on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake, which divides the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The yatra will pass through busy areas like Patthergatti, Madina Circle, Afzal Gunj, MJ Market, Nampally, Saifabad and Secretariat to reach Necklace Road.
Newly-elected Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will also be joining Bharat Jodo Yatra in Hyderabad later in the day. He will walk for some distance with Rahul Gandhi and is likely to address the corner meeting at Necklace Road.
Hyderabad police have made elaborate security arrangements for the yatra. They have imposed restrictions on movement of traffic on the yatra route.
Rahul Gandhi will have a night halt at the Gandhi Ideology Centre at Bowenpally in Secunderabad. The yatra will continue in Telangana till November 7 with a one-day break on Friday. It will cover a total distance of 375 km in 19 Assembly and seven Parliamentary constituencies in the state.