Srinagar: The concluding part of Rahul Gandhi’s months-long Bharat Jodo Yatra set in Jammu and Kashmir today with the leader describing it as a ‘homecoming”.
Traversing on foot India’s changing terrain, Rahul led a host of party works, most of them joined him on course and dropped afterwards before another group came in, the march reached the last venue of reception.
Rahul went emotional when he told the people that he was coming to his roots, and added that he came with bowed head, knowing the suffering of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
"I am here to learn from you. Each one of you have suffered a lot and I want to humbly say that I am here to share your grief," NDTV reported him as saying.
National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah told the crowds that Rahul Gandhi was the second person after the 8th Century Vedic scholar Shankaracharya to undertake a travel from Knyakumari to Kashmir.
Rahul Gandhi and the Congress workers walked into the grand welcome at Madopur that came with music and dance, where Farooq Abdullah was waiting for Rahul.
The 85-year-old went emotional when he said he wanted to see before he closed his eyes “my secular Hindustan again where everyone is respected."
Congress leaders including Jairam Ramesh, Ashok Gehlot, Digvijay Singh showed up at the venue.
The Congress has invited 21 opposition parties to attend the programme on January 30.
The yatra entered its last leg after spending on the road 125 days beginning in September from Kanyakumari.
Hours before Rahul Gandhi to enter Jammu and Kashmir the spokesperson for Jammu and Kashmir, Deepika Pushkar Nath, resigned on Wednesday protesting over the inclusion of Choudhary Lal Singh in the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Nath accused the former Jammu and Kashmir minister of backing the Kuthua rape accused, and added that she cannot share the party platform with him on ideological grounds.