Rahul Gandhi Kicks off Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra From Manipur

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday began his second yatra - Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, in a little over a year, outlining an amorphous vision of building a “harmonious and equitable” society as against what he called the BJP’s politics of “violence, hatred and monopoly”.

Over the next two months, the Manipur-to-Maharashtra yatra will cover 6,713 km, mostly by bus. From Imphal to Mumbai, Gandhi will criss-cross 15 states, passing through 100 Lok Sabha constituencies, before reaching Mumbai on March 20-21. The custom-made Volvo bus has been equipped with a hydraulic lift so that he can address crowds en route.

Addressing a public meeting in Thoubal, near Imphal, minutes before the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was flagged off, Gandhi was largely cautious while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took on the BJP on its Hindutva pitch. Both criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting trouble-torn Manipur till date.

Ahead of the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Kharge accused Modi of using Ram for electoral gains and alleged that the BJP was indulging in deception for votes.

Addressing a large crowd at Myay Maidan, Khongjom in Thoubai Mr Gandhi said,  " I'm in politics since 2004 and for the first time I visited a place in India where the entire infrastructure of governance has collapsed."

He said, "After 29th June, Manipur wasn't Manipur anymore, it got divided and hatred was spread everywhere, lakhs of people suffered loss. People lost their loved ones in front of their eyes. And till now, the Indian PM has not come here to wipe your tears and hold your hand. It is a shameful thing. Maybe for PM Modi, BJP and RSS, Manipur is not a part of India."

Amid thundering support of the crowd Mr Gandhi went on saying, "You (people) have lost what you have valued but we will find what you have valued once again and bring it back to you. We understand the pain the people of Manipur have been through. We understand the hurt, the loss and the sadness you have been through. We promise you that we will bring back what you have valued, we will bring back the harmony, the peace, the affection that this state has always been known for."

He accused, "Manipur is a symbol of BJP's politics, Manipur is a symbol of BJP and RSS's hatred. Manipur is a symbol of BJP's viewpoint and ideology..."

The Yatra comes a year after Rahul Gandhi conducted the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, which gave an apparent boost to the Congress party. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra comes months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.