Bharat Jodo Yatra: Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson joins Rahul Gandhi; Congress says 'historic'

Rahul Gandhi and Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandsons of Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, were regarded by the party as 'carriers of the legacy of the two late leaders.' "I will join Bharat Jodo Yatra on the 18th at Shegaon," Tushar Gandhi tweeted.   

Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, joined Rahul Gandhi in the Bharat Jodo Yatra at Shegaon in Maharashtra's Buldhana district on Friday morning, with the Congress hailing his participation as 'historic.'

The yatra, which has been travelling through Maharashtra since November 7, started its journey from Balapur in the Akola district at about 6 am and arrived in Shegaon a few hours later, where novelist and activist Tushar Gandhi joined it.

In his tweet on Thursday, Tushar Gandhi said he was born in Shegaon. 

"I will join Bharat Jodo Yatra on the 18th at Shegaon. Shegaon is also my Birth Station. My mother was travelling by train, 1 Dn. The Howrah Mail via Nagpur, which stopped at Shegaon Station on January 17, 1960, when I was born!" he wrote in the post.

Tushar Gandhi's involvement in the yatra was called 'historic' by Congress.

Rahul Gandhi and Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandsons of Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, were regarded by the party as 'carriers of the legacy of the two late leaders.'

The party, in its statement, said, "The two walking together sends a message to the rulers that they can threaten democracy but will not be allowed to finish it."

Along with Tushar Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi was joined by senior Congress leaders Mukul Wasnik, Deepender Hooda, Milind Deora, Manikrao Thakre, Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap, and party state unit chief Nana Patole.

Rahul Gandhi is slated to address a rally in Shegaon this evening. The Bharat Jodo Yatra is nearing the end of its journey in Maharashtra and will cross into Madhya Pradesh on November 20.

(With inputs from PTI)