Chennai: Ahead of Bharat Joda Yatra, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi paid floral tribute to his father and deceased Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi at his memorial in Sriperumbudur on Wednesday. Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar.

Sriperumbudur is the place where former PM Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in a bomb blast on May 21, 1991. 



Further, taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said, "I lost my father to the politics of hate and division. I will not lose my beloved country to it too. Love will conquer hate. Hope will defeat fear. Together, we will overcome."





After paying tribute, Rahul Gandhi left for Kanyakumari from where he is set to begin the yatra on Wednesday.

In Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will present him the Tricolour made-in-India Khadi flag after which Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will address a rally to mark the start of Bharat Jodo Yatra. 


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Bharat Joda Yatra, a political tour by Congress, is dubbed the biggest "turning point" in Indian political history.

Congress has organised the tour eying the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and multiple assembly elections of this year. 


In the yatra aimed at "uniting India' Rahul Gandhi will cover a 3,570 km journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir for about 150 days. Rahul Gandhi will also stay in containers that will have beds, toilets and AC, said a report on ANI. 


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The Congress leader will be accompanied by 118 permanent members. The Congress MP will crisscross the country covering 12 states and several districts including Thiruvanathapuram, Mysuru, Indore, Alwar, Nanded, Raichur, Delhi, Pathankot, Jammu before culminating in Srinagar.