Manipur: Home dept now gives permission to flag off 'limited' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Imphal

A few hours after Congress leaders announced Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh’s decision to turn down the Opposition party’s request to use the Hapta Kangjeibung Palace compound ground in Imphal to launch the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on 14 January, the state home department asked the Imphal East district magistrate to give 'limited permission' to the Congress to initiate the event.

The Imphal East district administration in an order said, "........considering the prevailing law and order situation and circumstances, only flagging off of the yatra with a limited number of participants, is hereby allowed on January, 14, 2024 to prevent any untoward incident and disturbance in law and order. The number and names of the participants shall be provided in advance to this office to enable this office to take all necessary precautionary measures”.

Earlier, after meeting the chief minister, state Congress president Keisham Meghachandra Singh had said the party was now considering three other alternative venues to launch the yatra.

“The BJP government's refusal to use the public ground for a non-political purpose is very unfortunate and undemocratic. We are now looking for three alternative private venues to launch the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra through a big rally,” Meghachandra Singh told the media.

Terming the Manipur government’s decision as the 'murder of democracy' and a violation of peoples’ rights, the Congress leader said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra would be launched as scheduled by the AICC.

He said on 14 January, several leaders of the party, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and chief ministers and MPs from across the country would gather in Manipur for a peaceful rally.

On Monday, Congress leaders led by Meghachandra Singh met Manipur chief secretary Vineet Joshi and requested him to provide permission to hold the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra launch meeting at the Hapta Kangjeibung ground.

“The chief secretary assured us that the government would inform us about the permission by Monday evening itself,” a Congress leader said. He also said the party had applied to the government on 2 January seeking permission to launch the yatra at Hapta Kangjeibung.