Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a prayer meeting for former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 79th birth anniversary near Pangong Lake, in Leh.
Credit: PTI Photo
The Congress on Tuesday said Rahul Gandhi's Ladakh Yatra is a continuation of the Bharat Jodo Yatra as his trip to the Union Territory was in fulfilment of a commitment made to a delegation from there during his cross-country march.
Gandhi along with scores of people from the Congress had undertaken a nearly 4,000-km Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir journey from September last year to January.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "On 24th January earlier this year, Rahul Gandhi had met with a delegation from Ladakh during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jhajjar Kotli, Jammu.'
'His visit to Ladakh this week is in fulfilment of a commitment made to that delegation, which had wanted him to come and hear the people's perceptions of the border challenges with China, and also their views on empowerment of local elected bodies,' he said.
Gandhi reached Leh on a two-day visit on Thursday, later deciding to extend his stay in the region by four more days to cover Pangong Lake, Nubra Valley and Kargil district,
In many ways, this Ladakh Yatra is a continuation of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Ramesh said.
Talking with reporters in the Union Territory on Sunday, Gandhi had said he was planning to visit Ladakh during his Bharat Jodo Yatra but had to abandon the plan due to some 'logistical reasons'.
'So I thought let me come and do a detailed tour of Ladakh. I came to Pangong and am going to visit Nubra and Kargil,' he had said.
In a post on Instagram, Gandhi said 'Bharat Jodo' is deeply rooted in every Indian's heart and mind.
"The resonating chant of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' echoing through the streets of Leh serves as a strong example of this unity. No power can suppress this voice, brimming with affection and camaraderie," he said and posted pictures from his visit to the Leh main market.
The former Congress president on Saturday rode a motorcycle from Leh to Pangong Lake in the Union Territory of Ladakh.