Rahul Gandhi to launch 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' after visit to TN Rajiv memorial in Sept

Chennai, Aug 22: After paying homage and meditating on September 7 at the Sriperumbudur memorial, the site of assassination of his father Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would launch the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Kanyakumari, a party leader said on Monday.

Significantly, this is the first visit of Rahul Gandhi to the Sriperumbudur memorial near here. Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, K Selvaperunthagai told PTI: "Our leader, Rahul Gandhi Ji will be visiting the memorial on September 7. He will meditate, pay homage, pray and seek the blessings of his father Rajiv Gandhi Ji before launching the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kanyakumari."

Security officials would soon visit the Sriperumbudur memorial as part of the advance liaison and preparatory drill, he said. Congress party sources indicated that work is on to ensure that appropriate arrangements are made at Sriperumbudur befitting the solemn occasion and taking into account the objective of the party's nation-wide yatra.

Prayers, a theme based on the tricolour to invoke nationalist sentiments to dislodge the BJP regime at the Centre are among the topics that are being deliberated, sources added. The yatra would go on in Tamil Nadu for four days, from September 7 to 10.

From the next day, the yatra would continue from neighbouring Kerala. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a suicide bomber Dhanu on 21 May, 1991 at Sriperumbudur near here.