Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to kick off today
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 13 2024: Congress party is all set to launch the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to be led Rahul Gandhi from Khongjom, near the Khongjom War Memorial Complex, in Thoubal district on Sunday.

Ahead of the foot march Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the yatra is not an election campaign but a march for raising and uniting voices of the common people for ensuring political, social and economic justice.

Apart from other leaders including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy would also be attending the launch event on Sunday.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would be arriving at Imphal Airport on a special flight on Sunday, at 11 am from where he will head for the venue in Thoubal district by road.

He along with party leaders will pay floral tributes at Khongjom War Memorial Complex before addressing a public meeting marking the initiation of the yatra.

The march, which will start from Manipur will culminate in Mumbai, Maharashtra after passing through several states.

The march will be flagged off at 2.30 pm.

From Khongjom, the yatra will pass through Thoubal, Lilong, Singjamei, Moirangkhom, Babupara, Raj Bhavan traffic island, Kangla, North AOC, Chingmeirong Khongnang Ani Karak and Koirengei Bazar, where they will halt briefly before heading for Koujengleima Sports Association football ground and stay the night there.

On the second day, the journey will resume from 8 am and Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting at Kangpokpi Thomas Ground.

From there, the team will head towards Senapati district, where the party leaders will interact with local people.

After a break at Karong ground, the journey will resume at 2 pm and spend the night at Khuzuma ground in Nagaland.

Rahul Gandhi on Friday said emotional issues are being "misused" politically and attention is being diverted from real issues, in a "betrayal" of the people of the country.

In a post on X, the former Congress president said, "The youth will have to think about what will be the identity of the India of our dreams? Quality of life or just emotions? Youth raising provocative slogans or the employed youth? Love or hate?".

Meanwhile, addressing a press meet at Hotel Classic Grande, here, on Saturday evening, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the first journey of Congress, Bharat Jodo Yatra, was from Kanyakumar to Kashmir.

The second journey will be flagged off from Manipur and it is a campaign for ensuring political, social and economic justice.

It will travel through 100 Lok Sabha segments in 15 states and the party believes it will prove to be as "transformative" as Gandhi's earlier cross-country march.

He said that the party is taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as the government did not give it a chance to raise people's issues in Parliament and the initiative is aimed at re-establishing the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution.

He said that the march will spend 11 days in the northeast before leaving the region.

Rahul Gandhi will interact with the people and CSOs of the state as part of the march.

This is not an electoral yatra but an ideological yatra, Jairam reiterated.

He also criticised the Prime Minister for ignoring the crisis in Manipur even though its people are facing the hardships for more than eight months.

The PM has not yet given any opportunity to meet the chief minister and ministers of the state.

In the Parliament too, he spoke for only three minutes even though Congress and other opposition parties took the matter seriously and brought up the issue in tne.Parliament.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi personally visited the state and interacted with the displaced people, heard their hardships and shared their pains.

The hardships and injustice being faced by the people of the state is the main inspiration behind the march for justice, he said.

Responding to queries during the press conference, Jairam Ramesh said that fighting for justice is not an easy task.

It may take a couple of years or 10 years, but the important thing is to take a stand and initiate an action towards justice, which is why the party is conducting the yatra.

Former chief minister Okram Ibobi and Manipur Pradesh Congress president MLA K Meghachandra, who also attended the press conference, criticised the state government for not allowing the party to launch the Yatra from Hapta Kangjeibung.

They appealed to the people of the state to join the launch programme at Khongjom, which will be attended by several party leaders.

Buses for the Yatra are already stationed at Khongjom.

Meanwhile, preparation for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to be led by Indian National Congress (INC) leader Rahul Gandhi from Khongjom on Sunday, is in full swing.

It may be mentioned here that the Yatra was earlier planned for kick-off from Hapta Kangjeibung in Imphal but the government did not give ground clearance citing prevailing law and order situation in the state.

A team led by Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Keisham Meghachandra met chief minister N Biren seeking permission for the flag off from Hapta Kangjeibung.

However, CM declined their request citing the present unsettling situation while issuing an order allowing gathering of only 1,000 people.

The 'Yatra' will be flagged off by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and will conclude in Mumbai, Maharashtra on March 20 after covering a distance of 6,713 km passing through 15 states and 110 districts.

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