LIVE | Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Rahul slams Modi for not visiting Manipur
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi poses for pictures with people of Manipur in Thoubal on Sunday (January 14) ahead of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday (January 14) embarked on his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from violence-hit Manipur as the party looks to set the narrative in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls by putting the spotlight on issues such as unemployment, price rise and social justice.
The Congress has said that the yatra is an ideological yatra and not an electoral one, and it was being taken out against the "anyay kaal" (period of injustice) of 10 years of the Narendra Modi government. The yatra was flagged off from a private ground in Thoubal district, instead of Imphal, the party's initial choice.
The state government had given the Congress conditional approval to flag off the yatra from the Palace Grounds in the state capital, restricting the number of participants. Therefore, the Congress decided to opt for another venue. The Thoubal district administration has also imposed some restrictions such as the duration should not exceed an hour and the number of participants should not cross 3,000.
The yatra will pass through 100 Lok Sabha constituencies in 15 states and the party believes it will prove to be as "transformative" as Rahul Gandhi's earlier cross-country march. The Congress has said it is taking out the yatra as the government did not give it a chance to raise people's issues in Parliament and the initiative is aimed at re-establishing the principles of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution.
The yatra will traverse 6,713 km, mostly in buses but also on foot. It will cover 110 districts in 67 days, before culminating in Mumbai on March 20 or 21. Though the Congress has repeatedly stressed that this is not an electoral yatra, it comes at a crucial juncture as the party seeks to revive its fortunes after a poor showing in the last round of assembly elections.
Follow the live updates of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra here.
In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday accused him of using faith for electoral gain and said "one should not do dhongbaazi (deception) for votes".
Addressing the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra flag-off rally here, Kharge alleged that Modi comes to Manipur for votes but when people were in trouble, he did not visit.
The ethnic violence in the northeastern state, which broke out in May last year, has claimed more than 180 lives and rendered thousands homeless.
"Wo samandar ke upar sair karte firte hai, aur jap karte baithte hain -- Ram Ram Ram Ram (He is seen enjoying the sea, sitting and chanting Ram Ram). 'Mukh mein Ram, bagal mein churi', don't do this with the people," the Congress president said referring to the Hindi idiom that cautions against people whose words and actions differ.
"Everybody has faith in God and remembers God, there is no doubt about that, but don't do this for votes. One should not do 'dhongbaazi' for securing votes," Kharge said.
He said one should fight for ones principles. "We fight for secularism, equality, social justice, for saving the Constitution, you also do the same. These (BJP) people mix religion with politics and incite people," Kharge said.
He said the Congress is with the people and fighting for them.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi promised to bring peace and harmony in the violence-hit Manipur.
The violence that broke out in the northeastern state in May last year has claimed more than 180 lives and rendered thousands homeless.
Addressing a public meeting in Thoubal, which is south of Manipur capital Imphal, Rahul also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying perhaps for the BJP and the RSS, Manipur was not a part of India.
"Lakhs of people faced losses, but the prime minister has not come here to wipe your tears, hold your hand or embrace you. Maybe for Narendra Modi, the BJP and the RSS, Manipur is not a part of India. Your pain is not their pain," Rahul said.
"We understand the pain that the people of Manipur have been through, we understand the hurt, the sadness. We will bring back harmony, peace and affection for which this state was known," he said.
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday embarked on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Thoubal in Manipur with a promise to bring peace and harmony in the ethnic violence-hit state.
The violence that broke out in the northeastern state in May last year has claimed more than 180 lives and rendered thousands homeless.
Addressing a public meeting in Thoubal, which is south of Manipur capital Imphal, Rahul also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying perhaps for the BJP and the RSS, Manipur was not a part of India.
"Lakhs of people faced losses, but the prime minister has not come here to wipe your tears, hold your hand or embrace you. Maybe for Narendra Modi, the BJP and the RSS, Manipur is not a part of India. Your pain is not their pain," Rahul said.
"We understand the pain that the people of Manipur have been through, we understand the hurt, the sadness. We will bring back harmony, peace and affection for which this state was known," he said.
The yatra will cover a distance of 6,713 km, straddling 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly segments and covering 110 districts. It will conclude in Mumbai on March 20 after 67 days.
Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed the prime minister, saying that he came to the northeastern state only to seek votes and not to share the grief when the people of the state are in pain.
"Modi has time to drive by the sea, take a dip in the sea but has not come to Manipur. Modi keeps chanting 'Ram, Ram', but he should not do it to seek votes. The BJP mixes religion and politics, and incites people," he said at the launch of the yatra.
"The BJP has 'Ram' on its lips but carries a knife by their side. They should not have such an approach towards people," the Congress president said.
Kharge said the Congress stood for social justice, secularism and equity. Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is being undertaken to save the Constitution and democracy, and fight the fascist forces, he said.
The Congress president said he was proud that a leader of his party was moving from door-to-door to spread the message of peace.
Earlier, Kharge unveiled the bus on which Gandhi and other Congress leaders will travel from Manipur to Mumbai as part of the yatra.
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday paid homage at the Khongjom War Memorial in Manipur's Thoubal district. He reached the Imphal airport in the afternoon, and was accorded a rousing welcome by Congress supporters.
From there, he went straight to the memorial. After paying homage to those killed in the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891, he spent a few minutes there.
He then went to a nearby private ground, named 'Nyay Maidan', from where the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will begin.
The monument commemorates the heroes of the erstwhile Manipur Kingdom who fought the British forces in the war.
State leaders of 10 like-minded political parties in Manipur - CPI, CPI(M), JD(U), AAP, TMC, RSP, AIFB, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP are participating in the Congress's public meeting at Khongjom, Thoubal district. Central TMC however does not recognise its Manipur state unit.
Governance infrastructure has failed in Manipur, shameful that PM hasn't visited the state: Rahul Gandhi at Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra launch
He adds, "Maybe for Narendra Modi, BJP and RSS, Manipur is not part of India."