Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra 25th Day: Rahul offers prayers at Vedvyas temple

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited and offered prayers at Vedvyas temple in Rourkela, Sundargarh. "Today the 25th day of Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra began with Rahul Gandhi's visit to Vedvyas Dham in Sundergarh district of Western Odisha. The cave of this temple is considered to be the place where sage and poet Ved Vyas ji composed the Mahabharata," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

"Today we had darshan and worship at the ancient Vedavyas temple located in Rourkela, Odisha. Maharishi Vedvyas composed the great book Mahabharata at this place, which teaches us to fight against unrighteousness and injustice. I wish that the war of justice started against injustice would be successful," the official X handle of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra posted.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Odisha on Tuesday after Jharkhand. The Yatra was accorded with a grand welcome in Biramitrapur, a small industrial town in Sundergarh district. On this occasion, Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh Thakur handed over the national flag to Odisha Congress President Sarat Patnaik.

Biramitrapur was decked up with banners, cut-outs and hoardings of Gandhi before the yatra entered the town. "We have taken up the flag of justice to fight injustice.

Together, we have decided that we will keep moving forward until we get our right to justice. Many thanks to the people of Odisha for the enthusiastic welcome," the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's handle posted on X.

Earlier, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday sent an invitation letter to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to join Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra as it reaches Uttar Pradesh on February 16. The Samajwadi Party (SP) said earlier that he was yet to receive a formal invite from the Congress to join Rahul's hybrid march, adding that his party wouldn't ask for one.

Akhilesh has been invited to share the stage with Rahul during a public rally at National Inter College in Chandauli's Saiyadraja on February 16. The Samajwadi Party (SP) confirmed later on Tuesday that its Supremo has accepted the invitation and has consented to joining the 'Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra' in Amethi or Rae Bareli. "I hope that 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' will link up with the strategy of 'PDA' (Pichde, Dalit and Alpasankhyak) after entering Uttar Pradesh and will take our movement of 'social justice' and 'mutual harmony' further," Yadav said, adding, "The team of 'INDIA' and the strategy of 'PDA' will script new history in the country."

In Odisha, the yatra will cover around 200 km in the two western districts of Sundergarh and Jharsuguda. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra rolled out from Manipur's Thoubal on January 14. The yatra will cover over 6,700 kilometres over 67 days, traversing through 110 districts. It will cover a distance of 6,713 km, straddling 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly segments and covering 110 districts.

The yatra will conclude in Mumbai on March 20, after 67 days. A follow-up to the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' which saw Rahul Gandhi cover more than 3,000 kilometres on foot--from Kanya Kumari to Srinagar--the Yatra 2.0 is following a hybrid format.