Aligarh: Congress leader and former Aligarh City Assembly candidate Dr. Mohammad Salman Imtiaz has announced the launch of a 100-day “Aligarh Jodo Yatra”, aimed at bringing public issues back to the centre of political discourse and strengthening social harmony across the district.
Addressing a press conference at Alig Inn Restaurant on Wednesday, Dr. Imtiaz said the yatra would cover different parts of Aligarh district, where he and his team would interact directly with residents, document their concerns, needs and suggestions, and prepare a comprehensive roadmap for resolving local issues.
He said that upon completion of the yatra, a detailed public report based on the data and feedback collected during the campaign would be presented to the public, the district administration and the government to facilitate effective planning for Aligarh’s development.
Describing Aligarh as a city that reflects India’s diversity, Dr. Imtiaz said, “Aligarh is not merely a city or a district; it is a beautiful bouquet of different religions, castes, communities and cultures. Unfortunately, over the past few years, the people’s basic concerns have been pushed into the background while divisive politics has taken centre stage. Unless we rise above caste, religion and political affiliations and connect directly with the people, genuine solutions to their problems will remain out of reach.”
He said the “Aligarh Jodo Yatra” was conceived with this vision and would continue uninterrupted for the next 100 days. During the campaign, his team will visit every possible part of the district, go door-to-door, listen to people’s grievances, share in their joys and hardships, and systematically document every issue. The objective, he said, is not merely to hear complaints but to make sincere and practical efforts toward resolving them.
Dr. Imtiaz clarified that the yatra is neither an election campaign nor an exercise for political gain. Instead, it seeks to unite the people of Aligarh beyond the divisions of caste, religion, community and politics while promoting social harmony.
He further informed that detailed assessments would be carried out on issues related to education, healthcare, employment, roads, electricity, water supply, agriculture, youth, women and the business community. Ground-level data would also be collected to present an accurate picture of public concerns before the concerned departments and the government.
“Aligarh’s problems cannot be understood by sitting in offices and examining files. One has to walk through its streets, neighbourhoods and villages, and interact directly with the people,” Dr. Imtiaz said while announcing the campaign.
The press conference was attended by senior Congress leaders Pratima Singh, Grewar Sharma, Thakur Santosh Singh, Syed Mazin Hussain Zaidi, Anwar Aqeel, Irshad Saleem and Syed Mubashshir Ali, along with several party workers. The speakers described the initiative as a positive step towards public awareness, participatory democracy and communal harmony, stating that listening to people at their doorstep is the true spirit of democracy and the guiding principle behind the “Aligarh Jodo Yatra.”
