Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das Wednesday reached Malkangiri to lead its two-day march from October 2, a party leader said.
Das landed at Jeypore airport in Koraput district this afternoon, and then proceeded to Malkangiri, he said.
The state Congress president will inaugurate a Mahatma Gandhi statue at Mugi Point in Kalimela block in the tribal-majority district Thursday morning, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the “Father of the Nation”.
Then, he will take part in the procession – Gandhi Pathe Odisha – at the Mugi Point and march to Potere via Motu in the district, the party leader said.
October 3, the OPCC president will lead the yatra from Potere to Malkangiri town, where the procession will culminate.
In a social media post, Das appealed to all the people to join in the yatra, “which is being organised following Gandhi’s path of non-violence to protect the interests of Odisha and to alert the government for the safety and respect of women”.
Such a yatra will also be organised across Odisha October 2 and 3, he said.
Initially, conceptualised as a year-long march, the yatra has been shortened due to the upcoming Nuapada byelection, party sources said.
The BJD, another opposition party in Odisha, also announced a month-long yatra from October 9.
PTI