Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday that his vehicle was attacked in Sonitpur district in Assam during the grand old party's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'. Ramesh alleged that his vehicle was attacked by a crowd sent by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is behind all this.
The Congress leader took to social media platform X and said that Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra stickers from the windshield were torn by the crowd. "My vehicle was attacked a few minutes ago at Jumugurihat, Sunitpur by an unruly BJP crowd who also tore off the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra stickers from the windshield. They threw water and shouted anti-BJNY slogans. But we kept our composure, waved to the hooligans and sped away. This is undoubtedly the Assam CM @himantabiswa’s doing. We are not intimidated and will soldier on," Jairam Ramesh said.
The Rahul Gandhi-led Yatra is on its fourth day in the state, travelling from Biswanth district through Sonitpur to Nagaon. The march resumed the second leg of its Assam journey on Sunday after a night halt in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh. It re-entered Assam through Rajgarh in Biswanath district and is proceeding towards Nagaon district in the central part of the state.
The march, being carried out on foot and bus, had conducted its first leg of Assam journey from Thursday to Saturday afternoon.
Speaking on the alleged attack on Jairam Ramesh, All India Congress Committee (AICC) communications coordinator Mahima Singh said that Ramesh's vehicle was allegedly attacked and media persons accompanying the party's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' were "manhandled" by miscreants in Sonitpur district. "The car of Ramesh ji and some others were moving to join the main Yatra entourage near Jamugurighat when it came under attack", Mahima Singh told PTI. "We informed the police and the additional superintendent of police is at the location now", the AICC leader added.
She also stated that Nyay Yatra stickers from his vehicle were torn out and the attackers attempted to put a BJP flag on the vehicle, nearly breaking the rear glass. "The camera, badge and other apparatus of a vlogger who has been covering the Yatra were snatched. Members of the social media team of the party were also manhandled", she said, as quoted by PTI.
Singh said a BJP programme was apparently happening in the area and some of the media persons had got off their vehicles to get some visuals. "They created a very intimidating situation for us. They have refused to return the camera of the vlogger, claiming that it was not snatched," she added.
Speaking on the alleged incident, Additional SP Sonitpur, Assam, Madhurima Das said, "...We have heard about it. An investigation will be conducted in the matter."
BJP People Are Nervous: Congress Chief Kharge
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that the people in the BJP are nervous because the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi is going well. He further said that the Congress is not going to be scared of anyone.
"Rahul Gandhi's Yatra is going on so well. Seeing this, the BJP people are nervous. So, they attacked our PCC president. But he is not someone who would get scared. He is a soldier of the Congress. Congress is not going to be scared of anyone...This is like 'meri billi mujhse hi myaoon'. The cat that we once had with us is now meowing at us. We have seen several such people...We will never be scared, this is Congress' promise," Kharge said.