In Kerala, Bharat Jodo Yatra evokes tremendous public response, wrath of CPI(M) student wing

On his part, Rahul advised Congress leaders in Kerala to avoid confrontation with the CPI(M) and its feeder organisations, saying such an attempt would derail the yatra from its proclaimed objectives.

In the evening, Rahul Gandhi completed his mass contact programme at Nemom town close to Vellayani and travelled 18 km by vehicle, then to St Mary’s Higher Secondary School at Pattom for the night stay.

On Monday morning, Rahul Gandhi will return to Vellayani to resume the yatra.

Top Congress leaders in Kerala said Rahul Gandhi and his team would stay in the school without mounting the containers on vehicles. Some regional leaders would also stay at the school in solidarity.

Congress outreach in Kerala

Rahul Gandhi waves to the crowd at Parassala near Thiruvanathapuram on Sunday. (South First)

Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal told reporters at Neyyattinkara on Sunday noon that Rahul would use his trip to Kerala to interact with civil society movements in opposition to two pet projects of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan:  the Adani promoted multi-crore international seaport at Vizhinjam and the proposed semi-high speed Silverline rail project.

They seem to have been the reason behind the SFI’s hatred towards him.

In June, SFI activists created national headlines by barging into his local office in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency and vandalising it for his alleged inaction over the sensitive buffer zone issue.

The reception accorded to Bharat Jodo Yatra at Parassala. (South First)

Ramesh and Venugopal alleged at the interaction that the Kerala unit of the CPI(M) was acting as if it was a B-Team of the BJP at the Centre, and its sole motive was destroying the Congress.

They said the stand taken by the state leadership under Vijayan contrasted sharply with that of the CPI(M) national leadership, which wanted a broad-based unity of the entire opposition.

Day 5 events

Sunday marked the fifth day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, and it entered Kerala at around 7 am at the state border in Parassala.

Rahul Gandhi began the 19-day Kerala sojourn by offering floral tributes at the statue of late party leader K Kamaraj Nadar in the border town.

Former chief minister Oommen Chandy, senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, KPCC president K Sudhakaran, and Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan welcomed the leader to Kerala, with traditional Kerala art forms adding to the event.

A girl applies sndal paste to the forehead of Rahul Gandhi at Nemom. (South First)

Thousands thronged both sides of the Parassala-Nemom stretch of the national highway to greet the yatra.

During the upward journey, Rahul Gandhi stopped at a tea shop at Kunnathuvila near Udiyankulangara for breakfast.

Stanly was pleasantly surprised to see the Congress leader stepping into his shop. He said he had heard of the passing of the march through his shop’s route, but it was beyond his expectation that Rahul would stop at his shop for food.

The Congress leader then walked to the Neyyattinkara town, where a massive reception was accorded.

Rahul Gandhi and the team then rested at a school named after noted Gandhian G Ramachandran, who founded the Gandhigram Rural University.

Rahul Gandhi also visited the ancestral home of the late leader.

Then he interacted with handloom workers of the Balaramapuram region and shared their grievances.

During the evening walk, he reached the Venganur village to offer tributes to legendary Dalit leader Ayyankali. The day’s trip ended at the Nemom town with a massive reception.

Huge gatherings were visible during the trip, and traffic was paralysed for hours along the stretch.

The 3,500-km march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir is expected to be completed in 150 days, and cover as many as 12 states and two Union Teritories.