Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the Bharat Jodo Yatra a "unparalleled" people's movement in history on Thursday, saying the yatra intended to bring to the forefront actual concerns such as economic inequities, price rises, unemployment, social injustice, and constitutional subversion. Kharge also condemned the habit of "manufacturing headlines" to shift attention away from people's true difficulties. The Congress inaugurated the Kanniyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra on September 7, last year, covering over 4,000 km across 12 states and two union territories, with former Congress head Rahul Gandhi and 120 other Bharat yatris completing the full route in 146 days. Gandhi addressed 12 public gatherings, more than 100 street corner engagements, 13 news conferences, over 275 scheduled walking encounters, and more than 100 seated interactions throughout the yatra, which concluded on January 30 in Srinagar. The Congress organized Bharat Jodo Yatras in 722 districts to commemorate the first anniversary of its most ambitious endeavor, with senior leaders participating in different district-level programs. "The Bharat Jodo Yatra is more than just a physical endeavor; it is a genuine attempt to rebuild our fractured collective conscience." "For us, our ingrained values of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity are supreme," Kharge stated in a message posted on X (previously Twitter), praising Gandhi. "The trend of fabricating irrelevant headlines to divert attention away from people's real issues in order to conceal the agenda of hate and division is a systemic attack on our collective conscience," he said, adding that "the Congress party is constantly reaching out to people in an effort to reclaim our Constitution and protect our Democracy." 'The journey continues.' Gandhi, who is now on a week-long European trip, also offered his opinions about X in a three-minute film of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. "The crores of steps taken by the Bharat Jodo Yatra towards unity and love have laid the groundwork for a better tomorrow for the country." The road will continue till enmity is banished and India is united. This is my pledge!" Gandhi stated in an X post. According to Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, the yatra was a watershed event because it focused on "rising economic inequalities, increasing social polarisation, and deepening political authoritarianism." "It (the yatra) was not a mann ki baat lecturing exercise for Rahul Gandhi, but rather an opportunity to listen to janta ki chinta (people's concerns)," he explained.
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