Aron lights lamps to spell out welcome for Digvijaya Singh's Satya Sanatan Swabhiman Yatra

The 18th day of former chief minister Digvijaya Singh's "Satya Sanatan Swabhiman Yatra" ended with a night halt at Sankadik Ashram in Aron on Wednesday. The town put on a distinctive welcome for the yatra. Residents decorated it with coloured lights and lit lamps along the route, which spelt out "Aron mein Swagat Raja Sahab" (Welcome to Aron, Raja Sahab).

Before reaching Aron, villagers in several villages, including Tamedi, Jhajhon, Amarpura and Shahrok, had also welcomed the yatra. The celebration in the Aron area during the yatra resembled Deepavali.

A public meeting was held on reaching Sankadik Ashram. At the start, Abhiraj Yadav, son of Congress leader Ramlala Yadav, welcomed Digvijaya Singh with a speech in English. In his address, Abhiraj said Sanatan Dharma is not merely a tradition but a philosophy of life. According to him, the "Satya Sanatan Swabhiman Yatra" is a strong means of carrying forward the values of Sanatan.

Addressing the meeting, Digvijaya Singh said the BJP, the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were misleading people by steering them down the path of Hindutva. He said dharma is not Hindutva, and that Sanatan alone is the true dharma. He said Sanatan is the path of love and non-violence, while Hindutva is the path of hatred, violence, lies and rumour.

Digvijaya Singh also said he had undertaken this padyatra against vote and note theft, and that he was getting ample public support. He also spoke on issues such as inflation and unemployment.