Nyay Yatraneeded as country going through 'great injustice': Rahul

Thoubal (Manipur): Embarking on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from here, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said this was needed as the country was going through a period of "great injustice" and asserted that a vision of India based on equality, brotherhood and harmony will emerge from the yatra.

This vision will emerge from dialogues during the yatra and it will have no place for hatred, violence and monopoly, he said and added that through this yatra, the Congress wants to listen to people's "Mann Ki Baat" and understand their pain.

Gandhi commenced the more than 6,700 km Manipur-to-Maharashtra yatra with a rally at a private ground here after offering tributes to martyrs of Manipur at the Khongjom War Memorial Complex.

With top Congress leaders on the dais, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Gandhi explained the reasons for taking out the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra after his Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir march -- Bharat Jodo Yatra -- that ended January last year.

In the economy, monopolies are being built and a few people are getting access to all the wealth of the country, he alleged.

"One or two businesses have their fingers in everything and the large majority of businesses, small and medium businesses are being destroyed. Huge levels of unemployment and massive price rise is what the whole of India is facing," Gandhi said.

"On the social side, the large mass of India's people -- the lower castes, Dalits and tribals -- simply do not have a say in the governance system of the country. I have given you example upon example of how the large mass of our people are excluded from the political system and from the governance system," the Congress leader said.

"We do not want to speak much, we do not want to tell you our 'Mann Ki Baat'. We want to listen to your 'Mann Ki Baat'," Gandhi said.

In his remarks at the rally, he also slammed the BJPled Centre and state governments for the situation in Manipur.

He alleged that the people of Manipur lost what is precious to them because of the politics and ideology of the BJP and the "hatred that was spread" by the ruling party.

"I came to Manipur on June 29 (last year) and during that visit, what I saw, what I heard, I had never seen or heard of it before. I have been in politics since 2004, for the first time I went to a state in India, where the entire governance infrastructure had collapsed.

Danish Ali joins Gandhi's Jodo Nyay Yatra, cites 'hate attack' in Parliament

Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali, who was recently suspended by the BSP, on Sunday joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra here, saying he would be failing in his duty as a politician if he did not participate in the "biggest drive for unity and justice".

"This is a very important moment for me. I have arrived here after much soul-searching. I had two options either to accept the status quo and ignore the exploitation of Dalits, backwards, tribals, minorities and other marginalised and poor sections, or to launch an all-out campaign against this atmosphere of fear, hate, exploitation and the deepening divide in the country," he said.

'Mukh mein Ram, bagal mein churi': Cong chief Kharge hits out at PM Modi

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday accused him of using faith for electoral gain and said "one should not do dhongbaazi (deception) for votes".

Addressing the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra fl ag-off rally here, Kharge alleged that Modi comes to Manipur for votes but when people were in trouble, he did not visit.

"Wo samandar ke upar sair karte fi rte hai, aur jap karte baithte hain -- Ram Ram Ram Ram (He is seen enjoying the sea, sitting and chanting Ram Ram).

'Mukh mein Ram, bagal mein churi', don't do this with the people," the Congress president said referring to the Hindi idiom that cautions against people whose words and actions differ. (PTI)