Expect massive civil society participation in Bharat Jodo Yatra, says Yogendra Yadav

Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Bengaluru

Swaraj India founder Yogendra Yadav, who visited Bengaluru on Wednesday to prepare for the Bharat Jodo Yatra’s Karnataka leg, said that huge civil society participation could be expected in the march in the state.

 Alongside Yadav, the party’s women’s wing Mahila Swaraj participated in a closed meeting with other women’s groups such as Aasra and Vimochana at Dar Us Salam on the day.

Yadav, who has been vocal about the need to combat communal bigotry with street movements, added that his opposition to the Congress in the past did not stop him from the real and present danger of communalism.

“These are people’s movements. This is only one of the several meetings we have organised. Some of the largest farmer organisations, worker organisations, as well as intellectuals’ and writers’ associations are all involved.

So it is a very large number of people’s movements and civil society organisations that are involved in it. You will get to see the list when we hold another meeting at Gandhi Bhavan on the 20th. Cutting across the entire sector of people’s movements, you will see participation in Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Yadav said.

He added that street movements remained one of the best ways to create awareness about the shortcomings of the government of the day. “For me, this is the way; it is an initiative to address one of the most pressing issues of our times; namely, rulers of the country seeking to divide. Therefore, people of the country have to come forward and unite. To me, this is not the moment for any party in consideration.

“All parties in consideration and all enmities and differences of the past should be set aside and we must focus on the need to save the county, its Constitution, the heritage of the freedom struggle and the values of our civilization.

Since Bharat Jodo Yatra is one such effort, we are supporting it. We will support any similar effort undertaken by any organisation, and we are not aligning ourselves to one party or leader,” he said. Yadav also alleged that the BJP-led state government in Karnataka is “corrupt”, while trying to deflect attention from its failings by instigating communal bigotry.

 “The BJP has been running a very inefficient and corrupt government. That is why they are trying to stoke Hindu-Muslim issues. To cover up their shortcomings,” he said.