‘Vetrivel Yatra’ to continue, says BJP

The ‘Vetrivel Yatra’ will continue as scheduled, said State BJP president L. Murugan in Coimbatore on Monday.

Speaking to mediapersons here, he said the yatra was paused for the Deepavali festival. It would resume on Tuesday and cover Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram. The yatra would reach Coimbatore on November 22, he said.

On the BJP leaders courting arrest during the yatra, he said the police and the State government must take action against all those who violated the COVID-19 precautionary measures. Denying allegations that the ‘Vetrivel Yatra’ was a political initiative, he claimed that its purpose was to “console” those who were offended by the Kanda Shasti Kavacham controversy, explain the policies of the Centre and honour the COVID-19 frontline workers in the State.

To a question about AIADMK’s mouthpiece Namadhu Amma criticising the yatra, Mr. Murugan said he did not get a chance to read it. “It will be appropriate only if I read it before I could comment,” he said.

The visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Chennai on November 21 will boost the morale of the party workers in the State, Mr. Murugan said. As many as 120 members, including industrialists and members of other parties, joined the BJP in Coimbatore on Monday, he added.