‘The idea is to tell people not to be scared by the jingoistic BJP’
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 11: All India Congress Committee spokesperson, Anuma Acharya on Thursday countered the observation of the National People’s Party and said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (BJNY) was apolitical and not poll-oriented.
Launching the BJNY pamphlet at the state Congress office in Shillong, she said the impact of the rally would surely be felt across the country because someone has taken on the pseudo-jingoistic BJP head-on.
Acharya said the mission is to awaken the people and tell them not to be scared.
“While the PM hands over the nation’s assets to these close friends, the poor get poorer and the middle class finds its savings evaporating. We must ensure economic justice and the fundamental right to education, livelihood, and healthcare for all,” she said while underlining the key issues the BJNY is highlighting.
She said farmers and farm labourers are drowning in debt while the Modi government waives the loans of the wealthy and small businesses are suffering because the government supports big monopolies.
On social justice, Acharya said: “Despite hollow slogans like ‘Beti bachao’, women continue to be oppressed under the Modi government while their predators grow from strength to strength. We must ensure safety and equal opportunity for women in all spheres.”Acharya said the deprivation and marginalisation of SC, ST, and OBC sections continue unabated and they remain severely under-represented in the institutions of the country.
The Modi government has bulldozed all the institutions that have ensured balance and harmony in the nation and society, she added.
She said the Babasaheb Ambedkar-drafted Constitution, which ensures justice, dignity, and respect for all Indians must be preserved and protected. “The BJP has eroded our federal structure, ignoring the wishes of the states and misusing the office of Governor. We must protect our federal structure, which safeguards democracy and preserves the cultural, historic, and linguistic diversity of our states,” she said.
On NPP taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi and predicting that Congress will never come back to power without a charismatic leader, Acharya said: “You name one opposition leader as fearless as Rahul Gandhi. They are so afraid they spent crores to ruin his image.”
The BJNY will change that, she asserted.
The Rahul Gandhi-led Manipur-Mumbai Yatra starting from January 14 will touch only 1 km of Meghalaya in Ri-Bhoi district.
The BJNY will traverse 15 states including Meghalaya. Gandhi will lead the march from Imphal.
The Yatra will cover a total distance of 6,713 km across 110 districts in eastern and western India over 66 days.
It is expected to cover the states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.