After 6 days in Punjab, Bharat Jodo Yatra enters Himachal
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Jan, 2023 12:38 PM
Shimla, Jan 18 (IANS) After six days in Punjab, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra on Wednesday entered Himachal Pradesh where Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and state party President Pratibha Singh, among other party leaders, welcomed the day-long leg of the march in the state.
The flag handover ceremony was held on the border village of Ghatota in the hill state.
On entering the state, Rahul Gandhi said: "You had asked that yatra should pass through Himachal Pradesh. We changed the entire route.
"We gave little time to Himachal Pradesh, only one day, more time should have been given."
He added the yatra has to reach Srinagar on January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Pratibha Singh told the senior Congress leader that she had assured during a meeting in Delhi before the Assembly elections that "Himachal Pradesh aapki jholi mein aayega (Congress will win Himachal Pradesh elections)".
"The beginning has been made in Dev Bhoomi and similarly we will hoist the Congress flag in every state," she added.
A spokesman for the Chief Minister's office said all domestic consumers in the state would be eligible to get zero bills if their consumption is up to 600 units in every billing cycle. This will give a big reprieve to the domestic consumers who have to hitherto shell out huge money every month in the form of power tariff.
On receiving information about the incident, SP City Dinesh Kumar Singh, along with police force, reached the spot. The injured youths were sent to the hospital for treatment and the matter is being investigated.
The Chief Minister said the government is fully sensitive towards checking cross-border infiltration in Punjab. He said Punjab Police is constantly in touch with the Border Security Force (BSF) and other agencies for this purpose.
While briefing the officers, the DGP said the topmost priority of the government, as directed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is to further strengthen the fight against drugs to make Punjab a drug-free state, besides eliminating the gangster culture, maintaining law and order, and detection of crime.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased, whereas Rs 15,000 as immediate relief for the injured. He said free treatment would be provided to the injured.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday carried out his first Cabinet expansion by inducting five legislators, including second-time MLA Aman Arora, into his council of ministers. The expansion came in less than four months of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sweeping to victory in the Assembly elections by winning 92 seats of the 117 seats.
