Bharat Jodo Yatra Anniversary: Congress Calls March a Turning Point

New Delhi, September 07, 2026 Four years after the launch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress on Monday described Rahul Gandhi-led march as a major turning point in contemporary Indian politics. The party said the 4,080-km padyatra generated fresh hope and energy while bringing attention to concerns over economic inequality, social polarisation and political authoritarianism. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Monday marked the fourth anniversary of the “truly historic Bharat Jodo Yatra” led by Gandhi. Before beginning the journey, Gandhi visited the Vivekananda Memorial in Kanyakumari and then embarked on the “epic journey” with around 120 other Bharat Yatris. The march travelled through 12 states and two Union Territories over 145 days before concluding with a major rally in Srinagar. Ramesh called it a “transformational event in contemporary Indian politics” and said it received support from millions of Indians. The Congress said the padyatra was intended as an ideological challenge to what it called the “systematic RSS/BJP assault” on Constitutional principles, provisions, practices and procedures. Ramesh said, “It was not to sermonise a Mann ki Baat but to listen to Janta ki Chinta,” while recalling the impact of the march. He added, “Today we recall that decisive turning point that infused new hope, imparted new energy and inspired a new resolve.” During the journey, Gandhi addressed 12 public meetings, over 100 street-corner meetings and 13 press conferences, besides taking part in more than 275 planned walking interactions and over 100 sitting interactions. The yatra saw participation from people across different sections of society, including film and television personalities such as Kamal Haasan, Pooja Bhatt, Riya Sen, Swara Bhasker, Rashami Desai, Akanksha Puri and Amol Palekar. Writers, military veterans and prominent public figures, including former Army chief General (Retd) Deepak Kapoor, former Navy chief Admiral (Retd) L Ramdas, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan and former finance secretary Arvind Mayaram, also joined the march. Opposition leaders including Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Aaditya Thackeray, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Sanjay Raut and Supriya Sule participated at different stages. The Congress's anniversary commemoration highlights its continuing view of the Bharat Jodo Yatra as an important chapter in Rahul Gandhi's political journey and a significant exercise in connecting with citizens.