‘It's Miya Yatra’: Himanta as Cong's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra enters Assam
Earlier in the day, Congress party accused the Assam government led by BJP of creating obstacles for its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday alleged that the Congress-led ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, led by Rahul Gandhi, is a ‘Miya Yatra’, saying they visit areas with Muslim populations. During a press conference, Sarma also accused the ‘Gandhi family’ of being the ‘most corrupt in the country’, according to news agency PTI.
"The Gandhi family is the most corrupt family in the country. This is not 'Nyay Yatra, it's 'Miya Yatra'. Wherever there are Muslims, they visit those places," Sarma was quoted as saying by PTI. Miyas refer to Muslims who migrated to Assam from what is now Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), occurring in successive waves over time.
The Assam chief minister's remark about the Congress Yatra follows Rahul Gandhi's allegations that the BJP-led government in Assam is the most corrupt in the nation.
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered Assam from Nagaland on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the Congress party accused the Assam government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of creating obstacles for its Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which commenced in the state on Thursday. Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary in Charge of Communications, asserted during a press conference that the Himanta Biswa Sarma government is actively working to ‘ensure that Bharat Jodo Yatra is not a success’
"We are in Assam till 25th January. The state government is making all efforts to ensure that Bharat Jodo Yatra is not a success here. Assam government posing hurdles to the yatra, but we have faith that all sections of Assam including youth and women will listen to what Rahul Gandhi has to say," he said.
Himanta cancels programmes amid Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced the cancellation of his scheduled programmes in the state's upper districts on Thursday and Friday to avoid clashes with the Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra events.
Regarding the clash with the Yatra and the cancellation of his programmes, Sarma said, “Rahul Gandhi (yatra schedule) is coinciding with our welfare dates (dates on which forms are to be distributed for a new scheme). These dates were declared even before we knew he was coming.”
About the Miya community Sarma claimed, “We are not preventing anyone from attending the yatra, but people, barring from one community, don't even want to go. People are ashamed of going to Congress meetings.”
“I don't have any hesitation in naming the community. Even they don't want to go (to Congress meetings) nowadays. They have seen people getting benefits of government schemes; we are working for everyone,” he further said.
Sarma also accused the Congress Yatra of "espousing the cause of anti-Hinduism." He said, "You (Congress) are anti-Hindu, and we are pro-Hindu. However, we are also not anti-Muslim or anti-Christian or against any community."
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
The Congress MP Rahul Gandhi-led Yatra, which kicked off from Manipur on January 14, is set to conclude in Mumbai on March 20. The Assam leg, spanning from January 18 to 25, covers 833 km across 17 districts, starting from Sivasagar.
The ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ aims to traverse 6,713 km over 67 days, passing through 110 districts in 15 states. This Yatra, following Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, precedes the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, signifying the Congress party's active engagement.