"90 per cent Indians face injustice everyday," alleges Rahul Gandhi

DHULE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Wednesday that "90 per cent of the citizens were facing injustice every day" and therefore added the new word "Nyay" (justice) in their second Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The remarks came while addressing a 'Nari Nyay' program during his Maharashtra leg of the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'.

"..In our second Bharat Jodo Yatra, we have added the new word 'Nyay' because in our first yatra, whoever we met, whether farmers, youth or females, said the reason for violence and hatred is injustice...90 per cent of Indians face injustice every day," alleged the Congress leader.

He also spoke on the increasing income inequality and the unequal distribution of wealth and income among its citizens.

"I don't know whether you all know this or not, but the wealth of 22 people in India is equal to the wealth of 70 core people....," the Wayanad MP said.

However, income inequality has declined in India with a higher tax base and a shift in taxpayers from lower income to higher income tax bracket, the Economic Research Department of the State Bank of India said in a report.

About 36.3 per cent of taxpayers have moved from lower income to higher income tax bracket resulting in 21.3 per cent additional income, the report said adding that the top 2.5 per cent of taxpayers' contribution in income declined from 2.81 per cent in FY14 to 2.28 per cent in FY21.

The Nyay Yatra entered the state from the district of Nandurbar on Tuesday, March 12.

"There is injustice against the farmers, women, youth, poor and labourers," he said.

Members of the INDIA bloc are also expected to join the closing stages of the Nyay Yatra in Maharashtra.

"Between 12 and 17 March, the final leg of the Bharat Jodo Jodo Nyay Yatra, members of the INDIA alliance will be present... The motive behind the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, 'Panch Nyay' (five pillars of justice), I think the guarantees that we gave, we have been successful in that," Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said on Monday.

The Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which also includes the NCP (SPawar) in the state. Smaller parties like the Swambhimani Vikash Parishad (SWP) and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) are also likely to join the Congress-led alliance in the state. The state sends 48 legislators to the Lok Sabha.

The Congress's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', after the party's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', aims to cover 6,700 km through 15 states, with Lok Sabha polls around the corner.

The Lok Sabha polls are likely to be held in April-May this year.