Congress leader Rahul Gandhi received a warm welcome as his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, en route to Ranchi via Bokaro and Ramgarh, arrived in Dhanbad on Sunday.
Addressing a public meeting from an open vehicle at the local Bank More in the morning, Rahul expressed gratitude for the encouraging response received during his previous Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir last year. He emphasized the Congress’s commitment to fostering love in the face of the hatred spread by BJP and RSS cadres.
Claiming success in convincing people that the Congress stands for love in a market of hate, Rahul highlighted the addition of the word “nyay” (justice) in the current yatra from Manipur to Maharashtra. This yatra aims to address injustices, including economic injustice, wealth transfer to a select few, and protest against unemployment resulting from GST and demonetization.
Rahul accused the current government at the Centre of selling PSUs to private parties, depriving ordinary people, especially tribals, of job opportunities. He expressed concerns that PSUs in the steel sector based in Jharkhand might also face a similar fate.
During the journey to Bokaro, Rahul stopped at Godhar Kali Basti, interacted with local residents, and even shared a seat with children on a khatia, a locally woven rope-cot with a wooden frame.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accompanied Rahul during the Jharkhand leg of the yatra, along with Ghulam Ahmed Mir, the party’s state unit minder, and state president Rajesh Thakur. However, Congress MLAs were unable to join, as they were in Hyderabad and would return to Ranchi for the trust vote called by Chief Minister Champai Soren.
Notably, Pradeep Yadav, Congress MLA from Poreyahat, who did not go to Hyderabad, joined the yatra in Santhal Paragana on Saturday.