Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday held discussions with the fishermen community here at the Vadackal beach ahead of the 12th day of his party's Bharat Jodo Yatra.
In an early morning meeting, Gandhi discussed the challenges of rising fuel costs, reduced subsidies, dwindling fish stock and environmental destruction among other issues.
"At 6am, @RahulGandhi interacted with fisherfolk at Vadackal beach in Alappuzha on their challenges—rising fuel costs, reduced subsidies, dwindling fish stock, lack of social welfare & pensions, inadequate educational opportunities, and environmental destruction. #BharatJodoYatra," senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
The Yatra on Monday was kick-started from Punnapra while senior Congress leaders K Muraleedharan, Kodikkunnil Suresh, Ramesh Chennithala, K C Venugopal and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan accompanied Gandhi.
The morning leg of the yatra will conclude at Kalavoor, after covering around 16 km. The yatra will resume at 4.30 PM and will traverse around nine km before halting at Mayithara near Cherthala.
The Congress party's 3,570 km and 150-day long foot march started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and would conclude in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered Kerala on the evening of September 10 evening, would go through the State covering 450 km, touching seven districts over a period of 19 days before entering Karnataka on October 1.
(With PTI Inputs)
