Harish Rawat’s padyatra to ‘save democracy’

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Monday staged a padyatra in Hardwar accusing BJP of “murdering” democracy and asked people to teach a befitting lesson to the party for “destabilising” an elected government and “derailing” the state’s development.

Accompanied by PCC president Kishore Upadhyay and a crowd of supporters, Mr Rawat paid obeisance at the Daksha temple in Kankhal near Haridwar and traversed a distance of six km on foot from the ancient temple to Har Ki Pauri to mobilise public opinion against the manner in which his elected government was dislodged in the state.

Mr Rawat also accused the BJP of trying to drive a wedge between Congress and PDF MLAs but asserted that they stood united like a rock.

Mr Rawat, who also held rallies at Tharali, Narayanbagad, Karnaprayag and Gopeshwar in Chamoli district on Sunday, asked the people to teach a befitting lesson to the BJP.