Mumbai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (BJNY) will enter Maharashtra at Nandurbar on March 12 (Tuesday), and will end at the Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai’s Dadar, where the cremation of B.R. Ambedkar, the Architect of Constitution, was held, party leaders said here on Monday.
The BJNY which started on January 15 from Manipur, traversed 6,700 km, 110 Lok Sabha constituencies across 15 states, will culminate with a public rally to be attended by top leaders of the national Opposition INDIA bloc on March 17 at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park here.
The significant aspect will be the formal closing of BJNY at the Chaityabhoomi, officially known as Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Mahaparinirvan Memorial which has his bust and also a statue of Lord Buddha, and a revered pilgrimage venue every year on December 6, known as ‘Mahaparinirvan Day’.
The CSM Park is also a historic venue where major meetings and gatherings were held during the British era and even after Independence, with a galaxy of leaders from all political parties converging here for their events.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge shall be among the prime speakers at the INDIA bloc public meeting that will mark its formal launch of the united campaign for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections.
Interestingly, former Congress President Sonia Gandhi had addressed a massive rally at the same venue on December 28, 2003 — the Congress’ foundation anniversary — ahead of the 2004 parliament elections which saw the UPA headed by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh coming to power at the Centre.
Kharge and Rahul Gandhi had announced the BJNY at Nagpur on December 27, 2023, the eve of the Congress’ 139th anniversary in the presence of top party leaders. On Monday, a delegation of senior Congress leaders including AICC Secretary Ashish Dua, Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar, Congress Legislature Party Leader Balasaheb Thorat, Mumbai unit party chief Varsha Gaikwad and others met Director-General of Police Rashmi Shukla urging for adequate security arrangements for Rahul Gandhi’s travel through the state and the upcoming March 17 mega-rally.
Maharashtra unit party president Nana Patole, Working President M. Arif Naseem Khan, ex-CMs Sushilkumar Shinde, Prithviraj Chavan and others are engaged in giving final touches to the BJNY route in the state and for the CMS Park public meeting, while other leaders also inspected the preparations for the event.
(IANS)
