The Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to create hurdles for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra because the party is scared of it, the Congress alleged on Wednesday and asserted that the Rahul Gandhi-led march will begin on its scheduled date from Manipur.
Earlier in the day, the Opposition party at a press conference here had said that the BJP government in Manipur had declined permission for starting the yatra from the Hapta Kangjeibung ground (Palace grounds) in Imphal.
However, the Manipur government, in an order issued later in the day, said it had approved the venue for starting the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra with “limited participants”.
During the press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, Congress general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K.C. Venugopal released a pamphlet and launched a website on the Manipur-to-Maharashtra yatra, which is slated to begin on January 14. The Congress also launched the ‘Nyay Yodhas’ campaign. Under it, people by giving a missed call on a phone number can become volunteers for the yatra. They can also be involved in disseminating the yatra’s message after it ends. The Congress is firm that the yatra will start from Imphal, Congress general secretary communications Ramesh had said and had added that details of the place from where it will start will be given later.
Ramesh and Venugopal had claimed that the BJP government in Manipur had declined permission to start the yatra from the Palace grounds in Imphal.
Congress general secretary organisation Venugopal had said the party is looking for alternative venues and its state leaders, including former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Meghachandra Singh, are in touch with Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on the issue.
The chief minister had verbally agreed to one of the alternative venues, he had claimed.
The order issued by the Imphal East District Magistrate’s Office said, “Only flagging off of the yatra with limited number of participants is hereby allowed on January 14 to prevent any untoward incident and disturbance in law and order.” “The number and name of the participants shall be provided in advance to this office to enable this office to take up all necessary precautionary measures,” it said.
Asked about the issues in starting the yatra from Manipur, Venugopal had claimed that hurdles are being created as “may be they are scared of this yatra”.
“This is the decision of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and our party is doing a programme... government is doing programmes everywhere in Manipur, we have information, and why is it denying this (permission), only one reason — maybe political reason. They are scared of this yatra, maybe,” he had said.
Venugopal had said despite repeated assurances that the yatra was not electoral, the Manipur government refused the permission.
“When, we are starting a yatra from east-to-west, how can we avoid Manipur and what message we are giving to the people of the country. Therefore, we need to start the yatra from Manipur only. We are not going to make any ‘tamasha’ there. We told them very much, we told the chief minister, but they are very much reluctant to give permission for Palace grounds,” he had said.
The Congress leaders also issued a booklet which talks about the purpose and motto of the yatra, besides launching a website www.bharatjodonyayatra.com where people can register themselves.
Venugopal had said there was unprecedented enthusiasm and energy on the ground in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam, which he had visited during the last two days.
People are eagerly awaiting the nyay yatra and it will be a “grand success” like its predecessor (south-to-north) Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress leader had said.
Venugopal also said the party had invited all leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to participate in the yatra according to their convenience.
While making it clear that the yatra was not electoral, he had said the Congress was simultaneously preparing for the 2024 general elections. There is no confusion between the yatra and the election preparations, Venugopal told the conference.
He said the party will be holding a meeting of the coordinators of all parliamentary constituencies on January 12.
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