New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday claimed that its 1300 km Azadi Gaurav Yatra was not a political one but alleged that the ruling establishment was playing divisive politics.
“It was a patriotic exercise for us and not a political one. Freedom of the country did not come to us as a donation but was earned by the people through decades of struggle and sacrifice,” Congress Seva Dal chief Lalji Desai said at an AICC briefing. The yatra started from Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashram Sabarmati on April 6 and will conclude on June 1 at Rajghat, the memorial of the leader.
The foot march was a Congress tribute to the national flag and an attempt to bring the people together, said Desai. “Azadi means freedom of speech, religion, food, and clothes. The ruling establishment has no names who sacrificed their lives for the freedom struggle. The lathi breaks people, but the national flag brings them together,” he said.
According to the Seva Dal chief, the yatra followed the protocol and accorded due respect to the Indian tricolour. “The yatra allowed us to mingle with people during summertime. People told us in the villages that all Indians were together during the freedom struggle but now people are being divided. Our yatra is not political but only for the country's good,” Desai said.
Noting that Mahatma Gandhi led the country’s freedom struggle, the Congress leader said, “We are proud that we are witnessing 75 years of Independence. We thought we should go to the people and educate them about the freedom struggle. Hence, the Azadi Gaurav Yatra.”
Delhi Congress chief Anil Chaudhary said the initiative was started at the behest of party chief Sonia Gandhi and the state units have been doing small events at the local level to mark 75 years of freedom. Taking a dig at the BJP, without taking name of the party, Chaudhary said, “We need Bharat Jodo Sankalp today as an attempt is being made to divide people.”
Noting that well-known freedom fighter Bhagat Singh lived in Delhi, he said that the yatra also visited the Valmiki Temple, where Gandhiji visited, and the Fatehpuri village, which had a role in the 1857 mutiny against the British. The Congress leaders have planned a big event at Rajghat on Wednesday where various leaders will highlight the sacrifices made during the freedom struggle and the role that the grand old party played in the freedom struggle. “We need to remind the people of those times,” said Desai.
Read: Congress trying to reclaim Mahatma Gandhi's legacy, 1200 km yatra to culminate at Rajghat on June 1
