Cong to start ‘Nyay Yatra’ from Manipur to Mumbai on Jan 14
'Yatra will pass through 14 states and 85 districts in 67 days’
The Congress on Wednesday announced it will hold ‘Bharat Nyay Yatra’ led by Rahul Gandhi from Manipur to Mumbai, passing through 14 states and 85 districts from east to west of India in 67 days, beginning January 14, an exercise seen as party’s attempt to rally support ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The Nyay Yatra, which will cover around 6,200 km - mostly on buses with stretches of walking - and conclude on March 20, comes nearly a year after former Congress president Rahul Gandhi completed Bharat Jodo Yatra on foot from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, traversing over 4,000 km in 136 days.
While Gandhi raised the issues of “economic disparities, polarisation and dictatorship” during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Nyay Yatra will focus on social, economic and political justice for the people of the country, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference.
The yatra will be flagged off by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge from Imphal on January 14 and will pass through Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The march is being seen as politically significant in the wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, which are likely to be held in April-May.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started on September 7, 2022, was credited by the Congress for its electoral gains in Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, claiming it had enthused its ranks and file and revitalised the party’s connect with the masses.
Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said interactions will be held with women, youths and marginalised communities during the Nyay Yatra.
It will cover more distance than the Bharat Jodo Yatra in lesser time as majority of the Nyay Yatra will be by bus along with short stretches of walking.
Asked about the rationale behind choosing Manipur as the starting point of the Yatra, Venugopal said it is an important part of the country and also the party wanted to begin the process of “healing the wounds” of the people of the northeastern state.
“After spreading the message of unity, love and harmony through Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi will seek justice for the people of the country,” Ramesh said.
