Congress MP Rahul Gandhi will begin the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on 14 January from Manipur’s Thoubal district. The venue of the flagging-off ceremony went through some last-minute changes as earlier, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was scheduled to start from the capital Imphal. Owing to the ongoing tensions in the state, the Manipur government hesitated to provide the required permissions for the event which also led to a political rift between the ruling and opposition parties.
“We had proposed to the state government on January 2 that Hapta Kangjeibung public ground in Imphal be allowed for flagging off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. We had also announced that the Yatra will start from Imphal, and culminate in Mumbai,” Congress’s Manipur president Keisham Meghachandra said.
“We met Chief Minister N Biren Singh in this regard on January 10 but were told that the permission will not be given. Later that night, an order was issued which gave permission for Hapta Kangjeibung ground but with a limited number of participants,” he added.
Keisham Meghachandra said that the members of the state unit of the party met Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi in the presence of DGP Rajiv Singh. The meeting was also attended by the deputy commissioner (DC) and SP of Imphal East, during which Congress gave assurances to the administration about the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
“We were told that not more than 1,000 people will be allowed at the venue. As the permission was not given, we were in an alarming situation. Late on Thursday night, Thoubal DC gave permission for flagging off the Yatra from a private land in Khongjom area of the district,” he said.
Mallikarjun Kharge to flag off Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is set to flag off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and the party leaders affirmed that although the starting point has been changed, the route of the Yatra will remain the same.
Commencing in Manipur on January 14, the Yatra is set to conclude in Mumbai on March 20, traversing a total distance of 6,713 kilometers over a span of 67 days. The planned route includes passing through 110 districts across 15 states.
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Published: 12 Jan 2024, 02:43 PM IST