New Delhi, Jan 14: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday kicked off the party's mass outreach programme, Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, from Manipur's Thoubal, which aims to cover a distance of more than 6700 km across 15 states from Manipur to Mumbai ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Launching the Yatra, Rahul Gandhi came down heavily on the BJP over the recent ethnic clashes in the state that claimed scores of lives. The Congress MP said Manipur is an example of BJP's "politics of hatred" and said, "Maybe for Narendra Modi, BJP and RSS, Manipur is not part of India".
"After 29th June, Manipur wasn't Manipur anymore, it got divided and hatred was spread everywhere, lakhs of people suffered loss. People lost their loved ones in front of their eyes. And till now, the Indian PM has not come here to wipe your tears and hold your hand. It is a shameful thing. Maybe for PM Modi, BJP and RSS, Manipur is not a part of India," the Wayanad MP said.
He added that "Manipur has lost what it holds precious because of BJP's politics" and stated that "governance infrastructure has failed in Manipur, and shameful that PM hasn't visited the state".
"I'm in politics since 2004 and for the first time I visited a place in India where the entire infrastructure of governance has collapsed," the Congress leader said.
"Manipur is a symbol of BJP's politics, Manipur is a symbol of BJP and RSS's hatred. Manipur is a symbol of BJP's viewpoint and ideology," he added and also promised to "bring back harmony and peace for which Manipur was known".
"You (people) have lost what you have valued but we will find what you have valued once again and bring it back to you. We understand the pain the people of Manipur have been through. We understand the hurt, the loss and the sadness you have been through. We promise you that we will bring back what you have valued, we will bring back the harmony, the peace, the affection that this state has always been known for," he added.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, jointly flagged off by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and RahulGandhi, is being perceived as Congress's bid to set the narrative in the run-up to Lok Sabha elections, barely months away.
Explaining the issues to be discussed during the programme, Gandhi said, "Because we are enduring a period of profound injustice in India --social, economic and political. Injustice persists against people and traditions, with widespread issues across the nation. Economically, monopolies are forming; a few individuals have access to the nation's entire wealth. A couple of entities control all sectors, leading to the destruction of small businesses. India is grappling with inflation and unemployment. These are the issues that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will raise."
The yatra will end on March 20 or 21 in Mumbai.
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