Rahul Gandhi attends prayer meeting at Rajiv Gandhi memorial in Sriperumbudur ahead of Bharat Jodo Yatra

Sriperumbudur(TN): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attended a prayer meeting at his father Rajiv Gandhi's memorial here in Tamil Nadu ahead of the launch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The former Congress president attended the prayer meeting at the memorial here where the former prime minister was assassinated in a suicide attack while campaigning for the 1991 Lok Sabha polls.

The Wayanad MP and son paid floral tribute to his father and sat in front of the memorial for about 25 minutes.

He also tweeted that he lost his father to "the politics of hate and division”, and added “I will not lose my beloved country to it too. Love will conquer hate. Hope will defeat fear. Together, we will overcome.”

The Congress leader will reach Kanyakumari later in the day, where he will visit the Vivekananda memorial and Kamaraj memorial before attending a prayer meeting at the Mahatma Gandhi mandapam.

At the Gandhi Mandapam, he will receive the national flag from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

The foot march, which is set to be cover 3,500 km across the nation, will start from Kanyakumari. The party has claimed it will be a “transformational moment” for Indian politics and a “decisive moment” for the party's rejuvenation.

The march will be formally launched in the presence of top Congress leaders, including its two chief ministers — Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel. (UNI)