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Imphal: Ground preparation for the launch pad of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ (BJNY) at Khongjom of Thoubal district in Manipur is going on, on a war footing, even as senior leaders of the AICC have started arriving in Imphal today to take part in the launching of the yatra.
Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ will be flagged off from a private ground near Khongjom War Memorial site in Manipur’s Thoubal district on Sunday (January 14) afternoon.
Rahul Gandhi along with some other leaders of the AICC including its president Mallikarjun Kharge who will flag off the yatra will be arriving in Imphal late Sunday morning (January 14). They are expected to arrive at Imphal airport around 11 am.
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Among AICC leaders who have arrived in Imphal today are AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh who is also the chairman of communication and media, All India Seva Dal chief organizer Lalji Desai, Congress MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi, president of All India Youth Congress Shrinivas, some chief ministers of Congress rule states and others.
They were accorded a warm welcome by teams of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on their arrival at Bir Tikendrajit International Airport Imphal by separate flights.
Meanwhile, Jairam Ramesh who addressed the media at Congress Bhavan here informed that Rahul Gandhi would be arriving in Imphal on Sunday at 11 am.
The yatra will be flagged off at 1pm from a private ground near Khongjom War Memorial in Thoubal district, he said, while informing that Rahul Gandhi will address a gathering before launching the yatra by the AICC president.
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Other Congress leaders from across the country will also be arriving in Imphal before the yatra begins tomorrow, he said while talking about the significance of choosing the ethnic violence-hit Manipur as the launch pad of the yatra.
He said that the theme of the yatra “peace and unity” is very much relevant with the prevailing turmoil in the state for the last eight months.
“During the BJNY, the issues related to economic, social and political justice will be raised while covering 110 districts of 15 states and 101 Lok Sabha constituencies and 337 assembly seats,” he said.
Ramesh said that the idea of the yatras had its inspiration from the first line of the Preamble of Constitution.
He said that the yatra will concentrate on the aspects of liberty, equality and fraternity while the latest one will focus on ‘nyay’ or justice on social, economic and political fronts.
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During the yatra Rahul will cover Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, he said.
Senior state Congress leader and former chief minister O Ibobi Singh, MPCC president K Meghachandra, CWC member Gaikhangam were among others who attended the media briefing.
Former chief minister O Ibobi explained the significance of Rahul Gandhi selecting to start the yatra from the violence-hit Manipur and the MPCC choosing Khongjom in Thoubal district as launch pad of the yatra.
He said that the MPCC tried its best to use Hapta Kangjeibung within the capital city of the state. For the matter, they even approach the state chief minister while seeking the required permission.
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Meanwhile, the ground preparation for the yatra at the private ground near Khongjom War Memorial site is going on, on a war footing.
A member of the MPCC informed that all available resources on the part of the party are pressing to service to complete the preparation by tonight.
To note here, unhappy with the manner the government permitted with certain restrictions to use Hapta Kanjeibung in Imphal as venue for the launch of the yatra, the MPCC decided to use the private ground near Khongjom in Thoubal district as launch pad for the yatra.
The Thoubal district administration issued permission for using the ground for public gathering on January 11 evening.
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