New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will begin from Manipur “at any cost”, the Congress stated Wednesday after the BJP-led Manipur authorities denied the celebration permission to carry a public assembly in Imphal to mark the start of the east-to-west outreach march.
A sequel to final yr’s Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was supposed to start on 14 January from Hatta Kangjeibung – a historic polo floor in Imphal East district. However the state administration has stated the Congress can solely flag off the march with “limited participants”, in response to the celebration.
Congress common secretary Okay.C. Venugopal stated Wednesday that the celebration was going forward with the programme and that the yatra would begin from Manipur at any price. “We do not want to politicise the yatra. We don’t want to make an issue about Manipur either. This is a peaceful demonstration…asking for justice for the people of India, especially for the people of Manipur. That is why we are starting from Manipur,” he stated.
Venugopal added that they have been able to cooperate with the federal government, however that didn’t imply abandoning the yatra.
#WATCH | On Manipur CM N Biren Singh declining the request for the venue of Congress’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, celebration’s common secretary KC Venugopal says, “Bharat Jodo Yatra will start from Manipur at any cost. We are going ahead with the programme…We don’t want to politicise… pic.twitter.com/Q7iJLTu3Cf
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2024
The Congress’ second yatra, as soon as once more led by Gandhi, will contain a 66-day journey masking 6,713 km — by bus and on foot — spanning 110 districts, 100 Lok Sabha seats, and 337 meeting constituencies, culminating in Mumbai on March 20.
Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee president Keisham Megachandra confirmed Wednesday that Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had denied permission for the rally at Hatta Kangjeibung, Palace Compound. He referred to as the choice “unfortunate” and a “violation of people’s rights”, including the celebration would search for an alternate “private place” to kick off the yatra.
Manipur has been besieged by months of ethnic violence that broke out final Might, with violence reported as lately as this Monday.
CM N. Biren Singh had stated Tuesday that permission for Gandhi’s rally was beneath “active consideration” and {that a} determination could be taken after inputs from safety businesses, including that the regulation and order state of affairs in Manipur was “very critical”.
Additionally learn: Manipur govt denies permission to launch Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Imphal