In a bid for opposition unity, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday invited his counterparts of 21 opposition parties to attend the concluding day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar on January 30.
"I now invite you personally to join the concluding function of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on January 30," he wrote in a letter sent to the Trinamool Congress, the Janata Dal-United, the Shiv Sena-UBT, the Telugu Desam Party, the National Conference (both Farooq and Omar Abdullah were invited), the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party, the DMK, the CPI, the CPI-M, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the RJD (both Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi Yadav), the RLD, the Hindustani Awam Morcha, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Nationalist Congress Party, the MDMK, the VCK, the IUML, the KSM and the RSP.
Former JD-U leader Sharad Yadav has also been invited. "India faces an economic, social and political crisis. At this time, when the Opposition's voice is being suppressed in the Parliament and the media, the Yatra is connecting directly with lakhs of people.
We have discussed the grave issues affecting our nation inflation, unemployment, social divisions, weakening of democratic institutions and the threat on our borders," Kharge wrote.
He said all sections of society have also participated and shared their problems youth, women and elderly; farmers, labourers, small businessmen and industrialists; Dalits, Adivasis, and linguistic and religious minorities; activists, artists and spiritual leaders.
"At this event, we will commit ourselves to fighting hatred and violence, to spread the message of truth, compassion and non-violence, and to defend the Constitutional values of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice for all.
At this time of crisis for our country, where public attention is systematically diverted from people's issues, the Yatra has emerged as a powerful voice. I hope you will participate and further strengthen its message." he wrote
With the Yatra's final day coinciding with the martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi, Kharge said it will dedicated to the Father of Nation who fought divisive ideologies. Though the letter is formally to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra but the show of unity is to send a message to the BJP.