Divyang persons join Bharat Jodo Yatra, interact with Rahul Gandhi

SUSNER, (PTI): A group of wheelchair-bound Divyang persons took part in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra on Saturday on the occasion of International Day of Disabled Persons.

Gandhi’s foot-march passed through Madhya Pradesh’s Agar Malwa district during the day. It is set to enter Rajasthan on Sunday morning. On the way, he walked with a group of disabled persons for 15-20 minutes and interacted with them, state Congress’s Divyang cell president Ujjwal Motwani told PTI.

”We raised the issue of providing jobs to Divyang people so that we can earn on our own as the cost of living is increasing day by day,” Motwani said.

The cell’s vice president Balram Gurjar said they asked Gandhi to ensure that five percent of the MP-MLA Local Area Development fund is spent on the welfare of specially abled persons, as provided by the rules.

They also demanded more reservation in jobs for Divyang persons. Gandhi assured them that he would look into these demands, Gurjar said.

However, there were some other Divyang persons who could not meet the Congress leader because of the security cordon around him.

Former All India Mahila Congress president Shobha Oza tried to arrange a roadside meeting with Gandhi for them on the outskirts of Susner town but because of security arrangements and the crowds, it did not materialize. Mukesh Chauhan, whom Gandhi had given a special scooter from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation a few years ago, said he travelled for nearly 125 km on the same scooter from Nagda-Khachrod to meet him.

”I have been trying to meet Gandhi for the last two days but in vain,” he said.

Motwani, meanwhile, also said that he told the Congress leader that provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, especially those providing for a special magistrate to deal with cases related to them, should be implemented.

There are special laws for dealing with the crime against Divyang persons, but the police are not aware of them, nor are they sensitised about them, he said. This was the Yatra’s 11th day in Madhya Pradesh. The foot march resumed from Mahudiya village around 6 am.

This was also the 87th day of the Yatra since it started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7. (PTI)