150 km long pad yatras on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary: PM Narendra Modi orders BJP MPs

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday instructed BJP MPs to organise a 150 km long pad yatra (foot march) in their respective Lok Sabha constituencies between October 2 and 31 to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Speaking to media following the Parliamentary Party meeting of the BJP, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said that PM Modi in his address at the meeting "mentioned a very important programme regarding 'Gandhi 150', the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Between Oct 2-Oct 31, a 150 km long pad yatra will be undertaken in each Lok Sabha constituency."

Joshi further informed that the Rajya Sabha MPs will be allotted a constituency each, where they will have to organise programmes on the Mahatma and the freedom struggle.

"Rajya Sabha MPs will be allotted a constituency. 15-20 teams will be formed in each constituency. They will undertake 15 km pad yatra daily. MPs will organise programmes on Gandhi ji, freedom struggle, tree plantation. There will be a party level committee to implement it," said Joshi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders, besides Members of Parliament of both Houses, were present at the meeting held in the Parliament Library Building on Tuesday.

Commenting on the Congress' accusation on the BJP of having conspired to topple Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka, Joshi said that the Congres has a nature to point fingers at anybody for their failure.

"It has become their (Congress') nature to allege anybody for their failure. Their MLAs have submitted their resignations to the Governor. We (the BJP) are monitoring the situation and will decide accordingly," he said.

The 13-month-old Congress-JD(S) government in the state has landed in a major crisis after 11 Congress MLAs on July 6 claimed to have put in their papers to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar.