The Congress on January 10 accused the BJP of trying to create hurdles for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and said that the Rahul Gandhi-led march would begin on January 14 from Manipur’s capital Imphal.
Addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee headquarters, Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal and communications chief Jairam Ramesh said the BJP government in Manipur had denied permission for starting the yatra from the Palace Grounds in Imphal. “They are scared of this yatra, maybe,” Mr. Venugopal said.
However, the Manipur government, in an order issued later in the day, said it had approved the venue for starting the yatra with “limited participants”.
During the press conference, Mr. Venugopal and Mr. Ramesh released a pamphlet on the purpose and motto of the yatra. They also launched a website, www.bharatjodonyayatra.com, where people can register for the yatra. The party also launched the ‘Nyay Yodhas’ campaign that will allow people to become volunteers for the yatra by giving a missed call on a phone number.
‘Expose BJP’s lies’
Earlier, party president Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with leaders of all frontal organisations on the Lok Sabha election and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
He exhorted young party workers to increase their connect with the people and effectively use social media platforms to communicate the party ideology and “expose the BJP’s falsehood”.
Mr. Kharge stressed the need to maintain discipline and decency and not make “any such comment which may spoil the atmosphere”. “We have to fight public issues by keeping our ideology at the forefront. We will fight and win,” Mr. Kharge said at the meeting and asked its participants to make the Manipur-to-Maharashtra Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra a success.
