"It's my duty": Mehbooba Mufti accepts Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra invite

Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], December 28 (ANI): Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said that she will join the Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra when it reaches the Union Territory next month for a "better India".

Accepting the the Congress's invitation to join the Yatra, the PDP chief said that it is her "duty to stand with someone who has the courage to challenge fascist forces".

"I've been formally invited to join Rahul Gandhi ji for his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kashmir today. Salute his indomitable courage & I believe it is my duty to stand with someone who has the courage to challenge fascist forces. Will be joining him in his march towards a better India, Mufti said in a tweet.

The Congress's Bharat Jodo Yatra will reach Jammu and Kashmir on January 20.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah is also expected to join Rahul Gandhi during the march.

Bharat Jodo Yatra on December 24 entered the national capital. The yatra, which has covered so far covered 10 states, is on a nine-day winter break and will resume on January 3 and will enter Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier on Monday, Mufti had praised the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Taking a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) she said that the new government during the last 8 years has shaken all the foundations of this country and has made it weak, but Rahul Gandhi is out to save the foundations of the country.

"I salute Rahul Gandhi for launching this mass campaign that will save the foundation, culture and brotherhood of the country. He has gone to unite this country, to strengthen the heritage of this country," said Mufti.

On Monday, Congress general secretary Incharge Organisation KC Venugopal and AICC Incharge Jammu and Kashmir Rajani Patil on Monday met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to discuss the upcoming Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi.

Talking about the future roadmap of Yatra, he said, "We'll hoist the national flag in Kashmir. We had a meeting with Jammu and Kashmir LG and he offered all sorts of cooperation. NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and CPM leader MY Tarigami will join the yatra."

So far, the Yatra, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7, has covered parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra and Haryana.

It is the longest march on foot by any Indian politician in the history of India, the Congress has claimed.

With this yatra, Rahul Gandhi aims to mobilise the party cadre and unite the general public against the BJP's "divisive politics in the country".

Recently, in a letter to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked them to follow the Covid guidelines strictly during the Yatra.

"Follow the Covid guidelines strictly during Bharat Jodo Yatra which is going on in Rajasthan. Use of masks-sanitiser should be implemented. Only vaccinated people should participate," the Health minister said in the letter on Tuesday.

Reacting to this, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the government for making excuses to stop the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'.

"It's their (BJP) new idea, they wrote to me saying Covid is coming and stop the Yatra. All these are excuses to stop this Yatra," said Rahul while addressing a rally in Haryana's Nuh district. (ANI)