India: Congress denied permission to start 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' from Imphal, chooses another venue

The second iteration of Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'',rechristened 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' will not start from Imphal, the capital city of the northeastern state of Manipur, as announced earlier, according to a report in Hindustan Times.

The flagship movement will now start from aprivate ground in Manipur’s Thoubal district. Congress accused the state's Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)government of denying permission and later imposing too many conditions.

“The CM declined to give permission despite our request. It’s unfortunate and has hurt not just our sentiments, but those of the people of the state. It’s a violation of our constitutional rights as well,” saidK Meghachandra, state unit chief.

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Notably, on Wednesday (Jan 10), it was reported that Congress had been granted the required permissions before the office of the Imphal East district magistrate issued a statement saying that the party could onlykick-off ‘the campaign with a limited number of participants’.

“Only flagging off of the Yatra with limited number of participants is hereby allowed on January 14 to prevent any untoward incident and disturbance in law and order. The number and name of the participants shall be provided in advance to this office to enable this office to take up all necessary precautionary measures," read the order.

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Congress' last-ditch attempt

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is the face of the campaign yet again and his east-to-west march is scheduled to cover 6,700 km over 66 days, across 15 states and 110 districts. During the campaign trail, Gandhi is expected to largely travel by bus and build upon the first campaign. The yatrabegins on January 14 and will end in Mumbai on March 20.

"As the political landscape gears up for the 2024 elections, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra emerges as a pivotal initiative, not only for the Congress party but also for the citizens it aims to connect with. This journey is more than a physical movement; it symbolises a collective effort towards justice, unity, and political engagement," said Jairam Ramesh, earlier this month during the launch event.

The general elections are scheduledlater this year and Congress has been looking to make up for the lost ground. The party lost elections to four assembly states last year further denting its hopes of making inroads into BJP's vote share on the national level.

(With inputs from agencies)