Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra Highlights, Day 5: ‘The most corrupt chief minister in India is Assam’s CM’, says Rahul Gandhi as yatra reaches Jorhat

In the afternoon, Gandhi addressed a street meeting at Deberapar in Nakachari of Jorhat district and alleged that a lot of injustices are being done against tribals, tea workers and other indigenous communities of Assam by the BJP-led government.

"Corruption is rampant in Assam. We all know that perhaps the most corrupt CM in India is the Assam chief minister," he added.

In his third public address at Jorhat town in the evening, Gandhi said Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's entire family is involved in corruption.

"His children, himself and wife -- all are involved in some corruption. He thinks that money can buy the people of Assam because he can be purchased. But Assamese people cannot be bought and there is no price for them," he added.

The Congress leader while addressing people from the top of his bus said the biggest injustice against the youths is unemployment.

"India cannot progress with unemployment. Our promise is that we will fill all government vacancies. We will also revive the small and medium industries as this sector generates the highest number of jobs," he added. PTI

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday alleged that the Gandhi family is the most corrupt one in the country.

His statement came following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's accusations that the BJP-led government in Assam is the most corrupt in the country.

"The Gandhi family is the most corrupt family in the country. This is not 'Nyay Yatra, it's 'Miya Yatra'. Wherever there are Muslims, they visit those places," the chief minister told a press conference.

On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, "Congress is representing one section of Muslims. This time even Muslim women didn't come to Congress' rallies. Our progress of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' - there has been so much progress in Assam that even Muslim men will stop coming to Congress rallies."

#WATCH | On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, "Congress is representing one section of Muslims. This time even Muslim women didn't come to Congress' rallies. Our progress of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' - there has been so much… pic.twitter.com/3KAqxhTHL8

— ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2024

Hundreds of rural women who gathered to collect forms for a newly announced government scheme in Jorhat district of Assam left their queues to greet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was leading the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' through the area on Thursday.

Gandhi reached Mariani town from neighbouring Sivasagar district around noon and saw hundreds of rural women standing in a queue at a government-controlled centre in Nakachari area to collect forms for the scheme.

Seeing Gandhi's convoy passing through, all the women left their lines and ran to the road to meet the Congress MP.

As soon as the convoy stopped and Gandhi came out of the bus, many women touched his feet but he tried to prevent them from doing so.

The women then sought to click pictures with him, which he readily agreed to. Gandhi spent some time with them and asked about their wellbeing, before proceeding further.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who is accompanying Gandhi in the yatra, shared a video clip of the incident on social media platform X.

"Women assembled for a function organised by the Assam CM in Mariani spontaneously and enthusiastically met @RahulGandhi on Day 5 of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. NYAY for Assam has begun!" he added.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Thursday reached Assam at around 9:45 am, where he was welcomed by hundreds of party workers.

Namaskar Assam?? pic.twitter.com/1Qxaycwdtm

— Congress (@INCIndia) January 18, 2024

The Bharatiya The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are spreading hatred and looting public money, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, as the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Assam early Thursday from Mokokchung in Nagaland.

Gandhi also targeted the BJP-led government in Assam, calling it “perhaps India’s most corrupt.”

As the yatra entered Assam, the national flag was handed over to the Assam Congress leaders for the eight-day journey in the state.

After the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed early Thursday from Mokokchung, it entered Assam, where the national flag was handed over to the Assam Congress leaders for the eight-day journey in the state.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed his journey in a bus from Tuli in Nagaland and reached Assam around 9:45 am, where he was received by hundreds of part workers.

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed from Mokokchung in Nagaland early Thursday.

LIVE: #BharatJodoNyayYatra resumes from Mokokchung, Nagaland. https://t.co/lcOehY3GAV

— Congress (@INCIndia) January 18, 2024

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed early Thursday from Mokokchung, and is set to cross the Nagaland-Assam border soon, where the official flag handover will take place.

This is the fifth day of the yatra, which will culminate at Nimati Road in Jorhat, Assam. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will stop at around 3:30 pm at Nehru Park in Jorhat to deliver a public address.

Here is the Day 5 schedule for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

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Watch the #BharatJodoNyayYatra live on our social media handles.

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? https://t.co/4uLWRC3x0j pic.twitter.com/Kcv8VtNSrH

— Congress (@INCIndia) January 18, 2024

In another sign of the frayed ties between the two INDIA allies amidst seat negotiations in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Wednesday indicated that he might not participate in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, saying that “the Congress and BJP don't invite me for their programmes”.

Asked at a press conference in Lucknow whether he would join Rahul's yatra, which is expected to enter UP on February 14 from Chandauli in the east and remain in the state for 10 days, Akhilesh said: “The BJP doesn’t invite us for their programme, and the Congress also doesn’t invite us. The Samajwadis have a separate fight. We are working towards strengthening the alliance (INDIA). We are working to remove the BJP.”

Contacted by The Indian Express, UP Congress chief Ajay Rai said invitations for the yatra had gone out to all INDIA allies. "The invitations have been sent by Rahulji and (Mallikarjun) Khargeji. I can show a copy too... Akhileshji has also been sent an invite along with other INDIA leaders," he said. Read more

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday took to X to draw the government's attention at the deplorable state of the roads in Nagaland. "Mr. Prime Minister, Your tall claims of development demand firsthand experience. Have you braved the broken roads that Nagaland's people navigate daily? One of the aims of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is to bring the country’s focus onto Manipur and Nagaland, to confront the neglect and forge a path towards inclusive progress," he wrote.

Mr. Prime Minister,

Your tall claims of development demand firsthand experience.

Have you braved the broken roads that Nagaland's people navigate daily?

One of the aims of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is to bring the country’s focus onto Manipur and Nagaland, to confront the… pic.twitter.com/NrptbQTLKt

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 17, 2024

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, addressing the public in Nagaland's Mokokchung, came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not fulfilling his promise he had made nine years ago to the people of Nagaland.

Targeting the PM for not visiting Manipur, after consistent violent attacks in the state, Gandhi said, “After what has happened in Manipur, the Indian Prime Minister has not gone there. As an Indian person, I am ashamed that my Prime Minister has not gone there. Their politics have torn the state apart… they have divided the state, weaponised the state, they had burnt the state and they cannot even step foot in the state…"

"I would also like to speak about the Naga Accords that the PM had committed to nine years ago… I am equally ashamed that the PM made a commitment to the people of Nagaland and has done nothing about it,” Gandhi said. “If you don’t have a solution, you should not lie and say that we have a solution,” he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, addressing the people of Nagaland in Mokokchung Tuesday morning, said, “We wanted to send a message that Northeast is as important as any other region in India. It doesn’t matter if the population is less, but the importance has to be the same.”

“The idea of the yatra is to bring the attention of the entire country to the people of Manipur, people of Nagaland, people of Assam,” Gandhi said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to hold a public address from his bus at main traffic point in Mokokchung, Nagaland at 10:30 am.

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed from VK Town, Zunheboto in Nagaland on Wednesday at 9 am.

This is the fourth day of the yatra, which will culminate at Aohadang Ground Tuli, Mokokchung.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will also hold a public address from his bus at main traffic point in Mokokchung, Nagaland.

Here is the Day 4 schedule for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

?? January 17, 2024

Watch the #BharatJodoNyayYatra live on our social media handles.

? https://t.co/NGgQ2sFTl9

? https://t.co/17P1scxIYb

? https://t.co/4uLWRC3x0j pic.twitter.com/3sw7OGy8KM

— Congress (@INCIndia) January 17, 2024

Speaking on the political row over the invite for the Ram Temple inauguration for the first time, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS have “captured” the event and turned it into an “election function”, making it difficult for the Congress to attend. Read more

Rahul Gandhi shared a clip of Congress's Nyay Yatra in Nagaland.

LIVE: Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra | Tseminyu to Wokha | Nagaland https://t.co/0uaEbzO0nK

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 16, 2024

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Tuesday addressed his first press conference during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Nagaland’s Kohima. He covered a range of topics from why it was difficult for Congress leaders to attend the Ram Temple consecration on January 22 to his thoughts on Nitish Kumar and the INDIA bloc of Opposition parties. Here are his top quotes from the speech.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Tuesday stated that it was difficult for the party to accept the invitation for the January 22 Ram Temple event as the “BJP-RSS have given it an election flavour”.

“We are with all religions. Whoever wants to go, even from congress, can go. But it’s difficult for us to go as the prime minister, who is our principal opposition, has made it into an election event,” Rahul said.

When asked where he will be on January 22, Rahul asserted that he will be on the yatra trail. "Somewhere in Assam, according to the schedule."

The “status of the INDIA alliance is good”, Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday.

On being asked about seat-sharing talks in the Opposition bloc, Rahul added that most of the discussions were easy, and though they are complicated at some places, they can be easily resolved.

When questioned about Nitish Kumar refusing to take on the convenor's role, Rahul Gandhi said that the alliance will overcome whatever small issues there may be, and fight the elections together.

Rahul was addressing a press conference in Nagaland’s Kohima during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

In a YouTube short, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got candid about his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. 

"It's slightly different. I would have preferred the full walking model but time is an issue. I am trying to work out a more hybrid... more walking element to it but it's a bit hard," Rahul said.

Rahul is set on a 66-day yatra covering 15 days from east to west, starting from Manipur to Maharashtra. The yatra will culminate at Mumbai in the third week of March, with just enough time before the onset of the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking about the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra's stint in Manipur, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they were welcomed with a lot of love.

"It's a tragedy here from all sides. What surprises me is that the government of India doesn't seem to be bothered and the Prime Minister hasn't visited, and the violence continues," he said in a video shared on X.

"It's the first time in my life that I have seen something like this happening in an Indian state ... the law and order and administrative elements have just given up. So we are committed to building Manipur back again," Rahul said.

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????? ?? ???, ?????… pic.twitter.com/b2mJLmHCTu

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 15, 2024

As Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra travelled through north Manipur towards Nagaland Monday, the tensions left by the eight-month-long ethnic conflict between the Meitei community and the Kuki tribals in the state stared it in the face.

Along the way, occasional graffiti on walls sought a separate administration for Kukis, odd posters welcomed “Rahuji” to “Kukiland” as the yatra passed through Kangpokpi, while heavy security was a constant. At one place, an enthusiastic group of boys, mostly in their teens, waving national flags, added a third slogan after the customary ‘Long live Rahul Gandhi’ and ‘Congress zindabad’. “We want separate administration,” they chanted. Read Manoj C G's report from the ground.

Rahul Gandhi paid homage to World War II martyrs at the Kohima War Cemetery in Nagaland on Tuesday morning.

Shri @RahulGandhi visits Kohima War Cemetery and pays homage to the bravehearts who made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty during WW II. pic.twitter.com/Las8jIj59V

— Congress (@INCIndia) January 16, 2024

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared an image of the bus ticket being given to people who want to Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

"This is the ticket for the 'Mohabbat Ki Dukaan' bus in which you are traveling in Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra @RahulGandhi. Those who want to meet and talk to Rahul Gandhi in this journey of justice against the injustice of the last 10 years, have been given such tickets and called in the bus," Ramesh wrote over X.

The image shows Rahul Gandhi marching. 

As Rahul Gandhi made an 'impromptu' stop at a sports stadium in Nagaland's Kohima, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pointed to the plaque outside the stadium. The plaque read 'Indira Gandhi Stadium Kohima inaugurated by Shri A B Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India on 28th October, 2003.'

Ramesh said that the Kohima Village Sports Association had organised a week-long sports meet at this stadium.

'The Association was started in 1944! The plaque at the stadium is most telling. Woh bhi ek zamaana tha!' Ramesh stated.

.@RahulGandhi made an impromptu stop at a sports stadium where the Kohima Village Sports Association had organised a week-long sports meet. The Association was started in 1944!

The plaque at the stadium is most telling.

Woh bhi ek zamaana tha! pic.twitter.com/vftD5N8PwY

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 16, 2024

With locals meeting Rahul Gandhi on the volvo bus, the Congress leader had an unusual visitor on Tuesday morning.

#WATCH | On Rahul Gandhi's bus, a 'paw-some' visitor as #BharatJodoNyayYatra passes through Nagaland's Kohima

Follow LIVE updates here: https://t.co/t8T6cHk2yr pic.twitter.com/9WthpC9uv3

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) January 16, 2024

Resuming the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Nagaland, Rahul Gandhi visited the Kohima War Cemetery.

VIDEO | Congress MP @RahulGandhi visits Kohima War Cemetery on day 3 of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.#BharatJodoNyayYatra pic.twitter.com/EqfJ93QbQM

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 16, 2024

On the contingent’s last day in Manipur, Chief Minister Biren Singh Monday hit out at the Congress, saying it is not the time to hold rallies and “do politics” in the state.

“It is not Bharat Jodo (Yatra), it is Bharat Todo. Whenever he comes here, there is trouble. The situation is returning to normal, so he has come to create trouble, but we are all alert,” Biren said.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the Kohima War Cemetery as the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed in Nagaland today. This is the third day of the yatra, which will see Rahul addressing the public from his bus in Phulbari and Wokha, where the march culminates for the day.

Check out today's schedule: 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's nationwide march, known as the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,' entered its second day on Monday, restarting from Sekmai in Imphal West.

Taking to Twitter, he said, "Today Manipur is looking towards the entire country with hopeful eyes. We have to erase the pain from their eyes and light the 'lamp of hope'. Our journey is a balm of unity and love on the soul of India wounded by BJP's politics of division and neglect." 

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?????? ???, ??????? ???,
????? ?? ???, ?????… pic.twitter.com/b2mJLmHCTu

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 15, 2024

???? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ?? ??? ????? ????? ?? ????? ????? ???? ????? ???

?? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ?????, ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??!#SahoMatDaroMat#BharatJodoNyayYatra pic.twitter.com/KWCekaf7aA

— Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (@bharatjodo) January 15, 2024

Civil society organisations that met Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra urged the Congress to demand during the upcoming Budget session of Parliament that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit the violence-hit state before the Lok Sabha polls, the party said on Monday.

The organisations, which met Gandhi separately, also said Manipur needs "sensitive, transparent, accountable and strong" governance, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh told a press conference here as the yatra halted for lunch.

The ethnic violence that broke out in the northeastern state in May last year has claimed more than 180 lives and rendered thousands homeless. (PTI) 

In an address to a gathering on the second day of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi shared insights into the mission's objectives and highlighted the success of the previous Bharat Jodo Yatra in bringing people together across India.

"The idea was to bring people of India together, and it was a very successful (Bharat Jodo) yatra where we walked thousands of kilometres. We wanted to do another (Bharat Jodo Nyay) yatra from east to west, and we decided that the most powerful thing would be to start the yatra from Manipur," said Rahul Gandhi.

VIDEO | "The idea was to bring people of India together, and it was a very successful (Bharat Jodo) yatra where we walked thousands of kilometres. We wanted to do another (Bharat Jodo Nyay) yatra from east to west, and we decided that the most powerful thing would be to start the… pic.twitter.com/gLXuhMZC4l

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 15, 2024

The Congress stands with the people of Manipur and wants to make the state peaceful and harmonious again, former party chief Rahul Gandhi said on Monday as he interacted with the people on the second day of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

Starting the yatra this morning in a custom-made Volvo bus, Gandhi also walked for some distance meeting people and enquiring about their problems.

Several people, a number of them women and children, had lined up along the yatra route and cheered on Gandhi as his bus made its way along several busy areas here.

Addressing the people from atop his bus in Senapati, Gandhi said the Congress did a yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and the idea was to bring people of India together.

It was a very successful yatra where we walked over 4,000 km, he said.

"We wanted to do another yatra from east to west and we decided that the most powerful thing would be to start the yatra from Manipur so that the people of India get a sense of what the people of Manipur have been through, the difficulty that they have been through, the struggles they have been through," the Congress leader said. (PTI) 

"People are asking us why PM Modi has not visited Manipur": Congress' Jairam Ramesh Imphal (Manipur) [India], January 15 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who is with Rahul Gandhi in Manipur for 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' said that people are asking us why PM Modi has not visited Manipur.

The second day of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra resumed from Imphal West in Manipur in the early hours of Monday.

Jairam Ramesh told ANI that Rahul Gandhi listened to the pain of the people in Manipur.

#WATCH | During the second day of Congress's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh says, "People are asking us why PM Modi has not visited Manipur? Everyone wants Rahul Gandhi to raise this issue in the parliament and ask PM… pic.twitter.com/9dfqMhzlE5

— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2024

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', at Sekmai village in Imphal West district.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began the second day of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Sekmai here on Monday and interacted with the people who had lined up along the route to greet him.

Starting the yatra in a custom-made Volvo bus, Gandhi also walked for some distance meeting people and enquiring about their problems. Several people, mostly women and children, had lined up along the yatra route and cheered on Gandhi as his bus made its way along several busy areas here.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Day 2 of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra began bright and early at 7:30 am with the traditional flag hoisting by Seva Dal at the campsite. PCC President of Manipur @meghachandra_k hoisted the flag." "The yatra will move from Sekmai to Kangpokpi and then Senapati in Manipur before finally halting in Nagaland at night," he said.

The yatra began Sunday from violence-hit Manipur with Gandhi asserting that the party will present a new vision for India that will be based on harmony, brotherhood and equitability and devoid of hatred, violence and monopoly.

At a rally here to flag off the over-6,700-km yatra with which the party is looking to set the narrative for the Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Manipur as it reeled under ethnic violence, and vowed to ensure justice for its people. PTI

head of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s country-wide march, this time as ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, entered its second day on Monday, resuming from Sekmai, Imphal West. Addressing the public, the leader said that he “wants to bring peace back to Manipur.”

He added that he is engaging in talks with various delegations to understand the situation in the state.

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's country-wide march, this time as 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', entered its second day on Monday, resuming from Sekmai, Imphal West.

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s country-wide march, this time as ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, entered its second day on Monday, resuming from Sekmai, Imphal West. 

LIVE: Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra | Sekmai to Karong | Imphal West to Senapati | Manipur https://t.co/ZTkf0tL5di

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 15, 2024

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s country-wide march, this time as ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, entered its second day on Monday, and is set to resume at 8 am from Sekmai, Imphal West. 

Day 1 in Manipur brought us overwhelming love.

Looking forward to another day of meeting, interacting and listening to the people of this beautiful state.#BharatJodoNyayYatra pic.twitter.com/ikMByqjrjb

— Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (@bharatjodo) January 15, 2024

Hoping to generate much-needed political momentum to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections barely a couple of months away, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday began his second yatra in a little over a year, outlining an amorphous vision of building a “harmonious and equitable” society as against what he called the BJP’s politics of “violence, hatred and monopoly”.

Over the next two months, the Manipur-to-Maharashtra yatra will cover 6,713 km, mostly by bus. From Imphal to Mumbai, Gandhi will criss-cross 15 states, passing through 100 Lok Sabha constituencies, before reaching Mumbai on March 20-21. The custom-made Volvo bus has been equipped with a hydraulic lift so that he can address crowds en route.

Read more

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday described the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra of the Congress as a hoax and said its senior leaders were not getting justice and joining other outfits.

Thakur referred to the exit of leaders such as Kapil Sibal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Hardik Patel, Jyotiraditya Scindia, RPN Singh and Sunil Jakhar from the Congress.

'There is a long list of leaders who have left the Congress as they are not getting justice in the party. Now, Milind Deora too has left the Congress,' the senior BJP leader said.

A former Union minister and once a close aide of Rahul Gandhi, Deora quit the Congress on Sunday to join the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. PTI

Embarking on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from here, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said this was needed as the country was going through a period of "great injustice" and asserted that a vision of India based on equality, brotherhood and harmony will emerge from the yatra.

This vision will emerge from dialogues during the yatra and it will have no place for hatred, violence and monopoly, he said and added that through this yatra, the Congress wants to listen to people's "Mann Ki Baat" and understand their pain.

Rahul commenced the more than 6,700 km Manipur-to-Maharashtra yatra with a rally at a private ground here after offering tributes to martyrs of Manipur at the Khongjom War Memorial Complex.

With top Congress leaders on the dais, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhi explained the reasons for taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra after his Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir march -- Bharat Jodo Yatra -- that ended January last year.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh questioned whether it is time for politics by holding rallies, as the Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, commenced from the strife-torn state on Sunday.

Singh, who heads a BJP government in the northeastern state, also wondered if Gandhi came to Manipur to mess with the situation which is getting better.

Gandhi's over two-month-long Yatra from the country's east to west will culminate in Mumbai in March, after covering 110 districts.

"Given the current situation in the state, is it a time for politics by holding a rally? It is the time to protect lives and properties, and provide consolation," the chief minister said while responding to media queries at the sideline of a programme in Imphal.

He alleged that it actually is ‘Bharat Todo' (Break India) yatra and not ‘Bharat Jodo' (Unite India). PTI

Watch | Rahul Gandhi makes his first stop at a tea stall at Lamjing bazar, a few kilometers away from the Nyay Maidan in Manipur's Thoubal where the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ was flagged off. pic.twitter.com/6CoRP9Uv9O

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) January 14, 2024

"The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra begins, embarking on a journey to address critical issues & champion justice. Join us in this collective effort for positive change!"

The #BharatJodoNyayYatra begins, embarking on a journey to address critical issues & champion justice.

Join us in this collective effort for positive change! ??

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— Congress (@INCIndia) January 14, 2024

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday embarked on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from here 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, Gandhi 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," Gandhi 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.

VIDEO | Congress MP @RahulGandhi commences his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Manipur's Thoubal. pic.twitter.com/g3QjidvIXD

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 14, 2024

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday paid homage at the Khongjom War Memorial in Manipur's Thoubal district.

Gandhi 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.

Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, other Cong leaders get on the bus which will accomapny the yatra for the coming 66 days.

The yatra will take around 66 days, covering over 6,700 kilometers across 15 states. As per a tentative list The Indian Express has seen, the yatra will cover 100 Lok Sabha seats, of which 58 are in the Hindi-speaking states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Rajasthan. In UP alone, the Yatra would pass through 28 Lok Sabha segments, among them Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Varanasi constituency, Rae Bareli, Amethi, Allahabad, Phulpur and Lucknow.

Governance infrastructure has failed in Manipur, shameful that PM hasn't visited the state, says Rahul Gandhi in his speech after launching the yatra.

"We will bring back peace and harmony to Manipur," he says adding that he insisted on the yatra starting from the East.

The 66-day yatra from Manipur to Mumbai will be a "hybrid yatra" with Congress leaders covering the distance by foot and by bus.