My family has long relationship with Karnataka: Cong leader Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: As the Bharat Jodo Yatra is traversing through poll-bound Karnataka, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday tried to strike an emotional chord with people of the southern state by recalling his family's association with the state.

While addressing a gathering, Rahul Gandhi said that his mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had successfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Ballari in 1999. The Gandhi scion also pointed out that his grandmother and late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had also contested and won from the Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency in 1978.

"We have a long relationship between my family and Ballari. My mother fought her election from here and got elected due to the wholehearted support of the people of Ballari," Gandhi recalled while addressing a public meeting in Ballari as part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra. "My grandmother Indira Gandhi fought from Chikkamagaluru. So, I cannot forget that," he said.

"We have been traveling for a month. People belonging to different religions, caste, age, are all walking together with love. There is neither any hatred nor violence in the journey. We are walking in unionism and people are helping each other if they get hurt during the yatra, which gives the message of unity, love and harmony to all those who are spreading hatred in the society," he said.

The unity, love and harmony of Karnataka cannot be wiped out even if right-wing groups make attempts over the next 50 years to remove them. This characteristic of

Karnataka is not limited to this state only, it will become the characteristic of the country as the objective of the yatra is to unite all against the "divisive" forces.

He further said, "Farmers in the state are not getting the minimum support price. They have to pay GST on fertilizers and the government is busy in their "commission business".

The state government has sold every post by putting a price tag for every government vacancy."

Rahul, who was flanked by senior Congress functionaries, including Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former chief ministers Siddaramaiah, Veerappa Moily, Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Congress' presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge, party's

Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala

addressed a meeting in Ballari to celebrate the completion of 1,000 km by walk.

The former Congress leader, who started his march on September 7 from Kanyakumari has planned to conclude his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu on January 30, 2023, covering over 3,500 km by foot.