New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday announced it will hold a 'Bharat Nyay Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi from Manipur in the east to Mumbai in western India, covering 14 states and 85 districts, beginning January 14.
The yatra will conclude on March 20, covering around 6,200 km, traversing Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
"After the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress will take out a Bharat Nyay Yatra under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi ji," 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. Ramesh also said the Congress will hold a mega rally will in Nagpur on December 28 on the occasion of the party's foundation day.
The rally, named 'Hain Tayyar Hum" (we are ready), will sound the bugle for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for the Congress. The Bharat Nyay Yatra will focus on securing economic, social and political justice for the people of the country, Ramesh said.
"The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has decided to hold a 'Bharat Nyay Yatra' from January 14 to March 20 from Manipur to Mumbai," Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said.
He said interactions will be held with women, youths and the marginalised communities during the yatra. The Bharat Nyay Yatra will be mostly covered by bus along with short stretches of walking, he said.
The yatra was announced following a unanimous resolution of the Congress Working Committee on December 21 that Gandhi should undertake the second phase of the yatra from the east to west.
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.
Manipur witnessed one of the worst ethnic conflicts between the Kuki and Meitei communities, resulting in more than 200 deaths and leaving nearly 60,000 people homeless since the violence broke out on May 3.
Ramesh said while Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra raised the issues of economic disparities, polarization and dictatorship, the Nyay Yatra will focus on social, economic and political justice for the people of the country.
"After spreading the message of unity, love and harmony through Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi will seek justice for the people of the country," he said.
In a post on X, Ramesh said while the Bharat Jodo Yatra was anchored in the Constitution's Preamble's pillars of "liberty, equality and fraternity", the Bharat Nyay Yatra is anchored in the Preamble's very first pillar of justice social, economic and political.
"The repeated assaults on the Constitution will not be allowed to succeed!" he said.
To a question whether the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties will also participate in the yatra, Venugopal said the final details were being worked out.
Ramesh pointed out that leaders of various political parties had also participated in the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Former Congress president Gandhi had undertaken the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir from September 7, 2022, to January 30 this year.
The 136-day march covered 4,081 kilometres, traversing 75 districts and 76 Lok Sabha constituencies across 12 states and two Union territories.
During the yatra, Gandhi addressed 12 public meetings, more than 100 street-corner meetings and 13 press conferences. He held more than 275 planned walking interactions and over 100 sitting interactions.
