The Manipur government has imposed restrictions on the program of Congress’ ‘Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra’ launched from Thobal district on January 14, saying that the program should not exceed one hour and the maximum number of participants should be 3,000.
The Thobal Deputy Commissioner’s office had issued the permission order on January 11 and the party shared it with reporters on Saturday, a day before the yatra.
The permission order states that the program should not exceed one hour as the venue is adjacent to the National Highway and traffic will have to be diverted to alternative routes.
It says that the maximum number of participants in the program should be limited to 3,000.
Congress has changed the venue from Imphal Palace Ground to a private ground in Thobal.
Earlier, the BJP-led N Biren Singh government had given conditional approval to start the Yatra from the Palace Ground in Imphal by limiting the number of people to 1,000.
“No anti-national or communal or protest slogan will be raised during the rally and yatra and the organizers will have to cooperate fully with the state authorities,” the order said.
If any problem arises in maintaining peace and public order in the area, the permission to travel will be cancelled.”
The yatra will be launched from a private ground in Khongjom area of Thobal district on Sunday and will be led by Rahul Gandhi. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and top party leaders will participate in the programme.
More than 180 people have been killed in the violence that began in Manipur in May last year. Violence broke out on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts to protest against the demand for granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community.
Through this yatra, Congress will try to bring the issues related to unemployment, inflation and social justice at the center of discussion in the Lok Sabha elections.
The yatra will begin from Thobal near Imphal, the capital of Manipur, on January 14 and will conclude in Mumbai in the third week of March.
Congress says that this yatra, which is being undertaken before the Lok Sabha elections, will pass through 15 states and 110 districts in 67 days. A distance of approximately 6,700 kilometers will be covered during the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’.
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