After the initiation of the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Assam, Rahul Gandhi, a prominent Congress leader, asserted on Thursday that perhaps the "most corrupt government" in India is operating in the state. Speaking to party supporters at Halowating in the Sivasagar district, where the march entered Assam from Nagaland, Gandhi criticized the ruling BJP and its ideological counterpart Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for "spreading hatred and looting public money."
Gandhi emphasized, "Perhaps, the most corrupt government in India is in Assam. You know what is happening here. We will raise the issues of Assam during the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'," addressing the party workers.
Discussing Manipur, the starting point of the march, Gandhi highlighted a civil war-like situation with ethnic violence prevailing since May 3 of the previous year. "Manipur is divided, and the prime minister has not even once visited the state. In Nagaland, a framework agreement (to address the Naga political issue) was signed nine years ago, and people are now asking what happened to it," stated the Congress MP.
Responding to the BJP's claim that such marches won't benefit the Congress, Gandhi argued that last year's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' altered the "political narrative" of the country. "The BJP and the RSS are spreading hatred and making one community fight against the other. Their only job is to loot public money and exploit the country," he asserted.
Gandhi also alleged that all BJP-ruled states are "facing economic, social, and political injustices," and these issues would be raised during the yatra. "We started the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' from Manipur, and it will continue till Maharashtra. This yatra not only aims at uniting every religion and caste in India but also delivers justice," he declared.
Referring to medieval saint Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva, the Congress MP framed the ongoing "justice march" as a yatra of Sankardeva's ideology. "He showed you (people) the way, tried to unite everyone, and fought a battle against injustice. We are just replicating Assam's history. The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' aims at doing the same," he explained.
Srimanta Sankardeva, an Assamese saint-scholar and reformer in the 15th-16th century, was invoked by Gandhi for his role in Assam's cultural and religious history.
The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,' led by Gandhi, entered Assam from Nagaland through Halowating in Sivasagar district. Commencing from Manipur on January 14, the yatra is scheduled to cover 6,713 km in 67 days, passing through 110 districts in 15 states, and will conclude on March 20 in Mumbai. The Assam leg of the march will continue till January 25.
(With Agency Inputs)
Read also| 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' Crosses into Assam from Nagaland
