Guwahati: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi‘s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra reached Majuli in Assam on Friday amid verbal jibes between Congress leaders and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
On Friday Jorhat Police registered a case against some individuals associated with the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra for alleged deviation from its original route.
Sharpening his dig at the “Miya Yatra”, Sarma said that he had asked the Congress leaders “not to pass through Guwahati, as it has medical colleges and hospitals”.
“We will permit any alternative route if they seek,” Sarma said.
Sarma said, “If the Congress reach Guwahati without permission, no case will be filed then as I don’t want to give them unnecessary limelight in the national media”.
A case will be filed later and two “bad elements” participating in the rally will be arrested 3-4 months after the Lok Sabha elections, Sarma said without divulging the identity of his “targets”.
The Assam leg of the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ (BJNY), led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached Majuli on its sixth day on Friday.
Gandhi resumed the yatra from Nimatighat on Friday morning and reached at Opholamukh around 10.20 am, from where they proceeded towards Kamalabari.
They visited Kamalabari Sattra and Auniati Sattra before coming to Garmurh centre, where they were felicitated by the residents of Majuli.
The yatra reached Zengraimukh, where Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, MP Gaurav Gogoi and Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah addressed a press conference.
Jairam Ramesh alleged that Himanta Biswa Sarma was trying to derail the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in the state because he was rattled by the response from the people.
Ramesh asserted that the Yatra will, however, continue with its itinerary in the state for another six days as scheduled.
“The Assam CM can abuse and defame, he can threaten and intimidate but we are not afraid. He is disturbed by the huge impact of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which will continue in Assam for another 6 days despite his continuing efforts to derail it,” Ramesh added.
Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah questioned the state government over rules that make it necessary to take ‘multiple permissions to walk on the roads’, maintaining that it was not in keeping with democratic spirits.
“KB Byju has nothing to do with the Yatra route. We decided on the route and applied on police portals for permission,” Borah said.
Borah also questioned the rationale behind having to acquire multiple permits for the march.
Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, who was also part of the entourage, had alleged that the FIR was a ploy to create unnecessary obstacles before the yatra.
“There were no police manning the traffic diversion at the PWD point. The assigned route was too small, and we had a huge gathering. So, we took a detour for just a few metres. (Chief Minister) Himanta Biswa Sarma is scared of the Yatra’s success on the first day (in Assam) and now wants to derail it,” Saikia added.
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is scheduled to cover 6,713 km in 67 days while passing through 110 districts in 15 states. In Assam, it will continue till January 25, travelling 833 km across 17 districts.
(With input from Sanjit Kumar Abhoypuria, Majuli)