NEW DELHI: In a bid to galvanise support ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to embark on the โBharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,โ today, a country-wide march covering over 6,700 kilometres across 15 states.
The yatra, commencing from Nyay Maidan in Khongjom, Thoubal, will span 66 days, concluding in Mumbai in the third week of March.
The route encompasses 100 Lok Sabha seats, with a focus on 58 in Hindi-speaking states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Rajasthan. Notably, the yatra will traverse through 28 Lok Sabha segments in Uttar Pradesh, including Prime Minister Narendra Modiโs constituency, Varanasi.
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A crucial element of this political outreach is the involvement of INDIA allies, posing a significant test for Rahul Gandhi. This marks the second such yatra led by Gandhi, following his Bharat Jodo Yatra from Tamil Nadu to Jammu and Kashmir last year.
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The launch in Thoubal district near Imphal faces restrictions imposed by the Manipur government, limiting the flagging-off ceremony to an hour and allowing a maximum of 3000 participants. Due to the venueโs proximity to the national highway, traffic diversion necessitates strict time constraints.
Initially planned to commence from Imphal Palace Ground, the venue was shifted to a private ground in Thoubal after the state government restricted participation to 1000 individuals.
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The order explicitly stated, โThere shall be no anti-national or communal or any adverse slogan during the rally and the Yatra,โ and the organisers should fully cooperate with the state authorities. The permission for the Yatra will stand cancelled if any situation arose โwarranting such gathering to be disassembled in order to maintain peace, public order and tranquility in the areaโ.
The Congress party emphasises that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is not merely an electoral endeavour but a response to the governmentโs alleged reluctance to address peopleโs issues in Parliament. The initiative aims to reaffirm the principles of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution.
Amid ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, where over 180 lives have been lost since May, the yatra holds added significance. The route includes four northeastern statesโNagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Assamโbefore progressing through West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
