Gandhi Sankalp Yatra: Submit report on first day of Parliament session, BJP told its MPs

On the first day of the winter session of Parliament on November 18, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs have a task cut out for them. All of them have to submit the details of activities they had done to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

New Delhi [India], Nov 11 : On the first day of the winter session of Parliament on November 18, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers have a task cut out for them. All of them have to submit the details of activities they had done to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The party MPs have been directed to submit the details of 'Gandhi Sankalp Yatra' undertaken by them.

It is learnt that apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah and working president J P Nadda, over the next few weeks, will take stock of the performance of their MPs regarding the 'yatra'.

Sources in the party stated that the lawmakers would need to submit detailed information regarding programmes conducted by them at the parliamentary office before November 18.

"The MPs will attend the first day of this session and are expected to submit photographs, videos and detailed coverage in local media regarding their contribution to the call made by the Prime Minister," they added.

This report is to be submitted to the BJP parliamentary office and with the central office of the party.

The details are being sought even though the party has extended its 'Gandhi Sankalp Yatra' by a period of three months.

It will now be a 120-day exercise and will end on January 31, 2020, instead of October.

Earlier, it was scheduled to be held between October 2 and October 31. The extension was made after several MPs sought extra time citing their busy schedule in the assembly elections and political tours to other states.

Through the yatra, launched to mark his 150th birth anniversary on October 2, the BJP is planning to propagate Bapu's ideals and principles of non-violence, Swaraj and simplicity.

As part of the yatra, BJP leaders were also asked to hold rallies, public meetings, press conferences and 'Prabhat Pheris' to reach out to the masses with the ideals of the Mahatma and ask them to propagate Bapu's message on eradicating social evils.

A 10-member committee under the chairmanship of General Secretary Arun Singh has been tasked to look after the four-month-long extended programme.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had kicked-off the programme from Delhi and Gujarat on the same day, simultaneously, with the other top leaders of BJP who took part in events across the country.

BJP Lok Sabha MPs were instructed to be in their respective constituencies on October 2 for the start of the programme.

Party's elected representatives were asked to hold 'padyatra' for 15 days in their respective constituencies and spread the message of Gandhi as well as awareness about the call of the Prime Minister on cleanliness, single-use plastic and use of Khadi.

The winter session of Parliament will commence from November 18 and will continue till December 13.

( With inputs from ANI )