On Sunday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi started his second big outreach effort, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, in Manipur’s Thoubal district, which is facing ethnic conflicts. The march began at noon from the Khongjom War Memorial.

This march is significant because Manipur has been dealing with ethnic violence, with almost 180 lives lost since May.

After starting the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Manipur, Rahul Gandhi assured that the Congress is committed to restoring “peace and harmony” in the troubled northeastern state.

“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 said.

He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP don’t see the northeastern state as part of India.

He stated, “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. 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…”

“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.
The Yatra is set to cover 100 Lok Sabha constituencies across 15 states before concluding in Mumbai on either March 20 or 21. Apart from Manipur, it will traverse through four northeastern states: Nagaland (257 kilometers over two days), Arunachal Pradesh (55 kilometers in one day), Meghalaya (five kilometers in one day), and Assam (833 kilometers over eight days).

Following this, the Yatra will proceed through West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

Earlier, Kharge unveiled the bus that Gandhi and other Congress leaders will use to travel from Manipur to Mumbai as part of the Yatra.

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Rahul Gandhi kickstarts Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur, vows for peace and harmony