Opposition parties, leading citizens join Bharat Jodo Yatra in Guwahati

The Bharat Jodo Yatra' of the Assam Congress passed through the state's largest city Guwahati for the second day on Friday, with leaders of several Opposition parties and leading citizens joining the march.

The programme started from Chandmari Field and culminated at Bonda ending its Guwahati-phase, a party spokesperson said.

All India Congress Committee president Jitendra Singh and state party chief Bhupen Borah were joined by representatives of the CPI, CPI (ML), NCP and the LDP, among others.

Prominent intellectual Hiren Gohain, senior advocate Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury, academician Abdul Mannan and physician Navanil Barua, among others, also joined the Congress in the Assam leg of the Yatra.

The leaders, cutting across party lines, appealed to the people to extend their support to the Congress' endeavour as it is a cry against rising prices and unemployment in the country.

The spokesperson said people welcomed the party leaders with flowers and gamochas' (Assamese traditional towels) when it was passing through the city.

The Congress, the main opposition party in Assam, had on November 1 started the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Dhubri district and plans to cover a distance of 834 km in 70 days.

The march will culminate at Sadiya in the easternmost part of the state, the spokesperson added.

Besides the main 3,570-km Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra, the Congress is organising several sub-marches in states from where the main yatra will not pass.