Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra banners torn in Assam's North Lakhimpur town: Cong
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North Lakhimpur: The banners and posters welcoming Congress’ Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to Assam's North Lakhimpur town, through which it will pass on Saturday, have been vandalised, the party alleged.
The Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, is on its third day's journey in the state and will pass through several parts of the Lakhimpur district, including the headquarters town North Lakhimpur, before entering Arunachal Pradesh later in the day.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) leader Bharat Narah alleged that most of the banners, posters and hoardings within the North Lakhimpur town area were damaged on Friday night.
"Alarmed at the success of the Yatra, all hoardings and posters have been torn down by miscreants.... ", he said. "Never in the political history of Assam had we witnessed rival political parties damaging banners and posters of the other parties," the former minister and MLA, who represents Naoboicha constituency in the state Assembly said.
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The march set off from Boginadi and as the entourage started with Gandhi's bus in the front, the leader was greeted by bystanders along the road. This prompted him to get off at a couple of places, interact with the people and also walk a few metres with them.
Narah, who heads the media committee of APCC, also alleged that the BJP-led state government has been creating hurdles for the Yatra, including trying to prevent people from participating in it.
"We have reports that batteries of boats were removed. Fuel depots have run dry to ensure that people cannot come with their vehicles," he said. "But we want to tell them that nothing can prevent the success of the Yatra," the Congress leader asserted.
The party also shared a video of miscreants purportedly tearing down posters with Congress leaders' photos in North Lakhimpur town at night...
AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, at a press conference in Majuli on Friday, had claimed that the party's first Bharat Jodo Yatra from south to north had not faced as many problems while passing through BJP-ruled states as the second one is encountering in Assam.
"The first Bharat Jodo Yatra did not face so many difficulties even when passing through BJP-ruled states. The amount of difficulties we have faced in Assam in these two days, we have not faced anywhere," he claimed.
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"It is for the first time that within 24 hours, the CM has been rattled. We are being threatened with FIR and imprisonment. People are being prevented from joining the Yatra," Ramesh, who is accompanying Gandhi in the Yatra, added.
The first Yatra, also led by Gandhi, had travelled from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in 2022-23.
As per the schedule shared by the party, the Yatra will take its morning break at Govindapur (Laluk), where senior leaders Jairam Ramesh, Jitendra Singh, Bhupen Borah and Debabrata Saikia will address a press conference.
The journey will resume from Harmuti in the afternoon and enter Arunachal Pradesh through Gumto, where the flag handover ceremony will be held.
In the neighbouring state, Gandhi is scheduled to take part in a 'padayatra' (foot march) from Meithun Gate, Itanagar, and address a meeting. The entourage will spend the night at Chimpu village near Itanagar, as per the schedule.
The Yatra will return to Assam on Sunday. A public rally at Kaliabor in Assam is also scheduled, which will be attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other top leaders.
The Nyay Yatra, being conducted on bus and foot, is scheduled to cover 6,713 km in 67 days, passing through 110 districts in 15 states. It will travel through Assam till January 25, travelling a total of 833 km across 17 districts.
With PTI inputs
