Kharge: BJP ignored Manipur crisis, Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will start from Manipur

Hyderabad: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will seek justice for the people of the country. He also lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party government for the blatant misuse of investigating agencies to intimidate political opponents.

The Congress president also released the logo and the slogan, ‘Nyay Ka Haq, Milne Tak’ of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

“This Yatra is aimed at re-establishing the four pillars mentioned in the preamble of the constitution: Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity,” Kharge asserted.

‘Parliamentary suspensions unfair’

Addressing his first press conference in 2024 in New Delhi, Kharge, along with the party’s general secretary, KC Venugopal and general secretary of communications Jairam Ramesh said that the yatra to be led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will start from Imphal in Manipur on January 14. He said, that after crossing 15 states, covering 110 districts, 100 Parliamentary constituencies and 337 Assembly segments, it will conclude in Mumbai.

He said the Congress party will put forth its point of view before the people and also listen to their issues and problems. He pointed out, that when the members belonging to 28 INDIA parties tried to raise various issues in Parliament, 146 of them were thrown out, which was unprecedented in the history of India.

‘PM ignoring Manipur, going everywhere else’

The Congress president said that the yatra will start from the same Manipur which has been seeing killings and rapes since May last year and where prime minister Narendra Modi did not feel like going.

He said this showed a lack of compassion on the part of the PM towards the people who were suffering. “If Manipur is not part of India the prime minister did not feel the need to go there, while he can be seen going everywhere else,” he said.

‘New criminal laws are dictatorial’

Seeking the support of the media, he said it was important for everyone to save democracy and the Constitution. He pointed out that if there was no Constitution, there would be no freedom of expression under which journalists work.

He also criticised the recently passed legislation on criminal and labour laws. He said these were the signs of dictatorship. He pointed out that the Modi government had repealed even the British-era labour laws as also those passed after Independence. He said the Modi government wants to make the employees as bonded labourers.

Governmental agencies to target Opposition

Alleging that the BJP government was intimidating the Opposition leaders by misusing agencies like the ED, the CBI and the Income Tax Department, Kharge said, ‘they (the BJP government) were trying to arm-twist people to toe their line.’

Taking a dig at the union home minister Amit Shah for inducting people, whom the BJP first calls corrupt and after it makes them join the party (the BJP), they get clean chit.

“There is a big dry clean factory with Shah, where every tainted leader comes out clean, pure white,” he remarked, while adding the same leaders who are supposed to be tainted with the Congress, turn neat and clean once they join the BJP.

Call on invitation to Ram Temple pending

Referring to the way the BJP tries to buy elected representatives, Kharge said this is not good for the country and the Constitution. He said that PM Modi does not believe in the Constitution of the country. He said, Modi does not consider ‘this constitution as constitution’, but believes in the ‘Nagpur constitution’, an oblique reference to the RSS ideology.

Replying to a question, the Congress president said, he had been invited to the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple and he would be deciding soon. At the same time, he added, it is a matter of personal faith and one can go there anytime, today, tomorrow or in future without any invitation.

On seat sharing with other INDIA parties, he pointed out, the National Alliance Committee of the party had already started the process. He said the committee will talk to the PCC presidents, CLP leaders and others in every state. Further discussions will take place subsequently based on the opinion of the state leadership.