Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' on Sunday from Manipur's Thoubal district, a region marked by ethnic strife. The yatra commenced at noon from the Khongjom War Memorial, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Rahul Gandhi, and other party leaders boarding the accompanying bus. Covering a distance of 6,713 km, the yatra will span 100 Lok Sabha constituencies, 337 assembly segments, and 110 districts, concluding in Mumbai on March 20 after 67 days.
While addressing the public, Rahul Gandhi says, " 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. 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."
A sequel to the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra,' where Rahul Gandhi covered over 3,000 kilometres on foot from Kanya Kumari to Srinagar, the latest campaign, Bharat Jodo Yatra 2.0, will involve extensive bus rides by the Congress leader. Originally planned to commence from Imphal Palace Ground, the Yatra was shifted to a private ground in Thoubal due to restrictions imposed by the BJP-led N Biren Singh government.
According to the reports, the Thoubal deputy commissioner's office specified that the flagging-off ceremony should not exceed an hour, with a maximum of 3,000 participants. Approval for the Yatra includes conditions against anti-national or communal slogans, emphasizing cooperation with state authorities. The permission is contingent on maintaining peace, public order, and tranquility in the area.