Kamal, freedom fighter families to join 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in Delhi today

New Delhi:Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, family members of freedom fighters and top Congress leaders are expected to join Rahul Gandhi in the Delhi leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra on Saturday, party sources said.

"Senior Congress leaders and parliamentarians, families of freedom fighters and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MKM) president Kamal Haasan are likely to join the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the national capital," a source told PTI on Friday. Addressing the MKM office-bearers last week, Haasan had said he had been invited by Rahul Gandhi and that he would participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra on December 24 in the national capital. Delhi Congress president Anil Chaudhary said at least 40,000 to 50,000 yatris are expected to participate in the yatra in the national capital.

"People from different fields will be joining the yatra that will enter Badarpur border at 6 am. We will then walk towards Ashram via Apollo hospital and thereafter, the yatris will have a lunch break and will rest for a while. We will resume our yatra at 1 pm from Ashram," Chaudhary said. After the lunch break, the yatra will resume and head towards Nizamuddin and then to the India Gate Circle–ITO–Delhi Cantt-Darya Ganj and before heading towards the Red Fort.

Thereafter, Rahul Gandhi and some of the yatris will visit Rajghat, Veerbhumi and Shantivan by car and pay floral tributes. After a short break beginning Saturday night, the yatra will resume from January 3 from Uttar Pradesh, then again head to Haryana in the second phase and then to Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. The yatra, which was launched on September 7 in Kanyakumari, has covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. It completed 100 days on December 16.

Addressing a press conference here along with senior leaders Jairam Ramesh and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, AICC in-charge for Haryana affairs Shaktisinh Gohil said the route plan for the yatra's entry into Delhi on Saturday has been finalised. The yatra, which will halt for the night in Faridabad, will enter Delhi from the Badarpur border near Badarpur Metro station. "After passing through near Apollo hospital we will head for Ashram, where we will halt for lunch break. From there we will head to Nizamuddin and then to India Gate Circle--ITO--Delhi Cantt-Darya Ganj and then Red Fort. "From Red Fort, some yatris and Rahul ji will visit Rajghat and Shanti Sthal by car and pay floral tributes," said Gohil.

After a short break beginning Saturday night, the yatra will resume from January 3 from Uttar Pradesh, then again head to Haryana in the second phase and then to Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Gohil said no separate permission has been applied for the yatra in Delhi or any other state through which the foot march has passed. He said the party gives the route plan to the Central Reserve Police Force for security arrangements. "We have neither applied for separate permission anywhere nor there is any need as this yatra is of the entire country," he said. "We also cooperate with agencies concerned. We hope the administration in Delhi will cooperate and we will also cooperate," he said.