Cong leaders tongue-lash BJP; Rahul assures peace in state
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, January 14 2024: After the Kanyakumari to Kashmir march, the second stint of the Rahul Gandhi-led long march titled 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' kicked off from the historic Khongjom in Thoubal district on Sunday.

The Yatra will conclude in Mumbai, Maharashtra on March 20 covering 6.713km in 67 days.

The Yatra flagged off from a private land near Khongjom war memorial complex, was slightly delayed as the special flight carrying Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders could not take off due to dense fog in Delhi.

Immediately after reaching the Yatra starting point, Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes to the martyrs at Khongjom war memorial complex and joined AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge in unveiling bus of the Yatra, which started at 2.30pm .

Addressing gathering at the flag-off ceremony, Rahul Gandhi said Congress party understand the pain and suffering of the people of Manipur since May 3, 2023 .

Manipur is known for peace, harmony and affection but these enviable qualities of the people of Manipur have been destroyed by evil designs of BJP and RSS.

However, we will bring back harmony, peace and affection for which this state was known, Rahul promised.

He also stated that lakhs of people faced losses but the Prime Minister has not come to wipe tears of the people of Manipur or embrace the suffering people.

Maybe for Narendra Modi, the BJP and the RSS, Manipur is not a part of India and pain of the people of Manipur is not worth considering, he observed.

While recalling what he had witnessed and heard about the suffering of the people of Manipur in his earlier visit on June 29, 2023 was unprecedented, Rahul Gandhi said neither the Prime Minister nor the BJP seem to worry when the state suffers.

According to Rahul Gandhi, his earlier Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir covering over 4,000km got positive feedbacks from the people as it was aimed at strengthening communal harmony in the country.

During the Yatra, we met lakhs of people and heard their woes and suffering, he said adding that there is no other place than starting the second Yatra from Manipur which the party decided accordingly.

Slamming the BJP, the Congress leader said there is no true judgement in the country socially, politically and economically and country's economy is now at the lowest level while entire assets of the country have been entrusted to handful of wealthy people.

BJP government has devastated small businessmen of the country while rate of unemployment among the youth has risen like never before, he said adding that entire people of the country are suffering due to random hiking of essential commodities.

Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed the Prime Minister, saying that he (PM) came to Manipur only to seek votes and not to share the grief when the people are in pain.

Modi has time to drive by the sea, take a dip in the sea but has not come to Manipur.

Modi keeps chanting 'Ram, Ram' but he should not do it to seek votes.

The BJP mixes religion and polities and incites people, Kharge said at the launch of the Yatra.

The BJP has Ram' on its lips but carries a dagger by their side.

They should not have such an approach towards people, the Congress president said.

Kharge said the Congress stood for social justice, secularism and equity.

Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' is being undertaken to save the Constitution and democracy and fight the fascist forces.

The Congress president further said he was proud that a leader of his party was moving from door-to-door to spread the message of peace.

"The BJP before the 2019 election promised to give two crore jobs every year...where are the jobs...injustice has been done with all sections of people.

Through Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, 'we promised to return justice to every one - -dalit, tribals, women, youths," Kharge said.

He said that during the regime of former Congress Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi six northeastern states -- Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh - - got their statehood and all kinds of development were undertaken.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah; former .Rajasthan Chief Minister and former deputy chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot; Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, Pramod Tiwari, Gaurav Gogoi, Salman Khurshid, Digvijaya Singh.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Karti Chidambaram among other leaders participated in the Yatra.

Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali, who was suspended by Mayawati-led The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), announced that he would join Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, saying he would be failing in his duty as a politician if he did not join "biggest drive for unity and justice" .

Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led 10-years governance as "anyay kaal" {period of injustice), the Congress on launched the 66-day long Yatra.

Among state Congress leaders who attended the flag-off ceremony included CLP leader O Ibobi Singh, CWC member Gaikhangam, MPCC president K Meghachandra, MLAs and former MLAs and MPCC functionaries.

After the public meet, Rahul Gandhi along with party leaders and workers set out the Yatra on special buses arranged for the same and moved towards Imphal from Khongjom.

People in large numbers with torches in their hands gathered at several key junctions to welcome the Yatra and give blessings.

Rahul Gandhi came down from the bus at several locations and talked with the people.

Later, the Yatra reached Sekmai where all the participants will hold the night at Sekmai Koujengleima ground.

The Yatra will set out for Kangpokpi at 8am Monday from the said ground.

Besides Manipur (107 km in one day), the yatra, which is a hybrid Yatra - - including bus and.padyatra - - will cover four other northeastern states - - Nagaland (257 km in two days), Arunachal Pradesh (55 km in one day), Meghalaya (five km in one day) and Assam (833 km in eight days) .

Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and a host of other party leaders earlier on Sunday reached Imphal from New Delhi by a chartered flight and went straight to Thoubal district and paid homage at the Khongjom War Memorial.

The Manipur Cpngress leaders accorded a rousing reception to the Congress leaders at the Imphal airport.

The Congress leaders then went to a nearby private ground, named 'Nyay Maidan' from where the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was flagged off.

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