Priyanka to join Congress 'padyatra' in Lucknow on Wednesday

Giving boost to the party's agitation supporting jailed law student in Swami Chinmayanand case, Congress general secretary, in-charge Uttar Pradesh( East), Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will join the 'padyatra' on occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on Wednesday.

Party's spokesperson here on Tuesday said Priyanka would be joining the rally to be brought out from Shahid Smarak to Gandhi statue at GPO from 1100 hrs on Wednesday.

Earlier, the party leaders had appealed to the workers to reach Lucknow in large numbers on October 2 to stage a big demonstration-cum-padyatra to protest against the Yogi Adityanath government's anti-democratic approach by banning the Shahjahanpur- Lucknow padyatra of the party.

On Monday, over 5,000 Congress leaders and workers were arrested in different places of the state when they opposed the UP government's move to ban the rally from Shahjahanpur, to be launched to protest against the government's patronage to Swami Chinmayanand in a woman molestation case.

In protest against the state government's attitude, the UP Congress had announced to hold statewide demonstration on Tuesday, but it was withdrawn in the last moment and now all the leaders have been asked to rush to Lucknow to join the 'padyatra' to be held by Priyanka.

Congress had announced to hold padyatras to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. While party president Sonia Gandhi will lead the rally in New Delhi, former party president Rahul Gandhi will be in Wardha and Priyanka in Lucknow.

Senior party leader Vinod Mishra said here on Tuesday that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit Lucknow on Wednesday morning and lead a 'padyatra' from Shahid Smarak to GPO and garland the statue of Mahatma Gandhi besides addressing the party workers.