Guwahati, Jan 23: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asserted that the attempts to derail or disrupt the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam would help the cause of the yatra, which has gained publicity and become the main issue.
“We are being denied entry to temples, colleges and our padayatra has been stopped time and again. This is the style of BJP, but we will not be intimidated. However, the Yatra is getting limelight by such disruptions,” Gandhi said while addressing mediapersons at Hajo in Kamrup district, about five kilometres from here.
Claiming that such “intimidation” by the powers-that-be will not affect him in any manner, the Congress leader said, “Whatever obstacles they create, our message of nyay (justice) through this Yatra is being conveyed to the masses.”
Slamming the Assam government, Rahul said that “there is a clear problem in the state. Firstly, as I have said again and again, the chief minister of Assam is one of the most corrupt chief ministers in the country… As I moved around the state, I have been told by people that there is massive unemployment, corruption and price rise here, while farmers are struggling. We are raising these issues and being successful at that.”
In regard to the vision of justice encapsulated in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, he informed that the party would in the coming weeks work on “five concepts of justice” – Yuva (youth) nyay, Bhagidari (participation of all communities) nyay, Naari (women) nyay, Kisaan (farmers) nyay and Shramik (workers) nyay, which would empower the country.
“Each concept will have a proposal/idea and a programme behind it. We will be putting these ideas before the people of the country soon,” he said.
“What we are seeing here is that the idea that the culture, language and tradition of Assam is secondary, and should bow down to the culture and tradition of Nagpur (RSS headquarters),” the Congress leader said.
Taking potshots at the Assam chief minister, the Congress leader said, “The chief minister, it seems to you, is running Assam. But the chief minister is not running Assam. In fact, Assam is run from Delhi. The chief minister, if he says one thing that Delhi does not like, we know what will happen to him. He’s got cases against him,”