On 10th January, the Congress party claimed that the Manipur government of Bharatiya Janata Party has declined permission to launch Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Hapta Kangjeibung, Palace Compound in Imphal East. Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Keisham Meghachandra Singh stated, “Today a team of Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee met the Chief Minister N Biren Singh. He has declined to give permission for the venue. He declined the request.” He further claimed that the chief minister informed him that the state govt would not give them any public lane in the state for the yatra.
The Congress leader referred to the response as “very unfortunate” and added, “It is our right to use the public lane for public purpose. It is a violation of people’s rights and the political rights of the people, more particularly the people of Manipur. The lane doesn’t belong to the chief minister. The palace compound is for the people and the public. It has been used earlier and that is why we proposed it this time.” He claimed that the yatra is apolitical and aims to bring justice to youth as well as women and is about social, political and economic justice.
#WATCH | On Congress party's upcoming Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Manipur Congress chief Keisham Meghachandra says, "Today a team of Manipur Congress met the CM. He has declined to give permission for the venue…He declined the request…that he would not give any public lane in… pic.twitter.com/bpnqKzUaPK
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2024
After the state govt declined permission to start the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from the Palance Compound, the Congress party has decided to shift the venue to the Khongjom War Memorial Complex at Thoubal.
Keisham Meghachandra Singh informed, “Even if the government declines (the permission), we have decided to do this near the Khongjom War Memorial Complex, Thoubal at a private lane. We are discussing with the AICC (All India Congress Committee) team and senior leaders of the state.”
#WATCH | Manipur Congress chief Keisham Meghachandra says, "Even if the government declines (the permission), we have decided to do this near the Khongjom War Memorial complex, Thoubal at a private lane. We are discussing with the AICC team…" pic.twitter.com/hEuklWgKzv
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2024
Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “Manipur PCC President Keisham Meghachandra Singh formally submitted a request for permission to the chief secretary of Manipur one week before. They told him that he would receive an answer within 5 days. He waited for the period and personally visited the official to seek the permit who assured him that he would receive it by that day evening. This happened three days ago. Unfortunately, today we received information that the permission has been declined. Then this morning, our former chief minister of Manipur Okram Ibobi Singh and the PCC president met the chief minister of Manipur with the plea but were informed that the administration isn’t in a position to give them permission for the palace compound.”
He further conveyed, “This is not a political yatra and we aren’t going to politicise the matter of Manipur violence through the yatra. Rahul Gandhi visited Manipur earlier during the violence. Our request is to make a peaceful Manipur. When we are starting a yatra from East to West, how can we avoid Manipur? Then what message we are giving to the people of the country? We need to start the yatra from Manipur only. We aren’t going to create any ruckus there. We told them this much but they are reluctant to permit the palace compound. We are now going to do the yatra in another location. Our ex-chief minister and PCC chief informed the recent chief minister about this and he gave us the go-ahead.”
#WATCH | Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal says "…We got information that the Government of Manipur declined (our request) to hold the yatra in Palace Ground, Imphal…When we are starting a yatra from East to West, how can we avoid Manipur? Then what message we are… pic.twitter.com/ycguL4MC6I
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2024
Keisham Meghachandra Singh was accompanied by MPCC vice president Hareshwar Goshwami along with other members during the meeting with the state chief minister N Biren Singh at the latter’s office in Imphal. A team led by led All India Congress Committee team arrived in Imphal on 8th January to oversee the preparatory works ahead of the program.
N Biren Singh told journalists in Imphal on 9th January that a decision on the Congress party’s “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra” would be taken after reviewing reports from the security agencies. “The granting of permission for Rahul Gandhi’s rally is under active consideration. We are reviewing the reports of various security agencies.”
The Congress-organised “Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra” from Manipur to Mumbai is slated to begin on 14th January in Imphal and end on 20th March in Mumbai, covering 6,700 miles across 15 states in 66 days. The yatra will go through the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat before concluding in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
