Thiruvananthapuram: The Bharath Jodo Yatra, a foot march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir led by Congress leader and MP Rahul Gandhi entered Kerala at 7 am on Sunday.
The ‘Padayathra’, (foot march) which started in Tamil Nadu entered the state via the border town of Parassala in Thiruvananthapuram.
Rahul Gandhi started the yatra after being formally welcomed by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and MP K Sudhakaran, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly V D Satheesan, AICC general secretary Tariq Anwar and other senior Congress leaders.
The other senior party leaders who welcomed the former party chief included Congress MPs K C Venugopal and Shashi Tharoor as well as former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy and ex-LoP Ramesh Chennithala.
A huge crowd of supporters and onlookers gathered to welcome the Gandhi scion.
"Our Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kerala. The diversity of India is so apparent. Yesterday we entered Malayalam speaking Kerala from Tamil speaking Tamil Nadu. From Vannakam to Namaskaram. #BharatJodoYatra #TodoNahinJodo @INCIndia @Jairam_Ramesh @RahulGandhi," senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, the national coordinator of the yatra, tweeted.
"Gain freedom through education, gain strength through organization, gain prosperity through industry. Today, as we enter the beautiful state of Kerala, on the auspicious occasion of Sree Narayana Guru Jayanti, his words inspire every step we take on the #BharatJodoYatra," Gandhi had tweeted as the yatra entered Kerala Saturday evening.
Midday break for the march would be at Ooroottukala Madhavi Mandiram near Neyyattinkara. Madhavi Mandir is the house of Dr G Ramachandran, who was a friend of Mahatma Gandhi. He will visit the Gandhi Museum there.
In the afternoon, Rahul is to interact with the traditional weavers of Neyyattinkara. The journey would resume from Neyyattinkara Moonnukallinmoodu at 4 pm and conclude for the day at Nemom.
On Monday, the march will begin at 7 am from Nemom to Pattom St Mary’s School. At 3 pm, the journey would resume from Pattom to Kazhakkoottam.
On September 13 morning at 7 am, the marchers are to leave for Mamam from Kazhakkoottam, and at 3 pm from Mamam to Kallambalam.
Rahul to cover 450 km in Kerala leg
After entering Kerala from Parasala close to the Tamil Nadu border, Gandhi would travel 450 km to Nilambur in Malappuram over a 19-day period.
The yatra will enter Kollam district on September 14.
It will reach Alappuzha on September 17 and pass through Ernakulam district on September 21 and 22 and reach Thrissur on September 23.
The Congress yatra will pass through Palakkad on September 26 and 27 and enter Malappuram on September 28.
The yatra will cover 12 states and two Union territories, and a distance of 3,750 km from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu to Jammu and Kashmir over a period of 150 days.
There will be mega rallies in 22 major cities.
(With PTI inputs)
