Rahul Gandhi's Nyay Yatra resumes from Bengal's Nabagram

BAHARAMPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' on Friday resumed in West Bengal's Murshidabad district a couple of hours behind schedule due to the class 10 examination of the state board, senior leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

The Yatra, which was scheduled to resume at 8 am, started at 10.30 am from Nabagram in Murshidabad district as the district administration asked the party to delay it owing to the exam which commenced during the day, he said. Chowdhury, the Baharampur MP, claimed that permission to hold the Yatra was refused in neighbouring Birbhum district, through which it is to pass before entering Pakur in Jharkhand later in the day, citing the examination.

He said that the permission to hold a roadshow was not granted in Murshidabad district for the same reason.

The examination is conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education from Friday and will be held from 9.45 am to 1.00 pm.

''I do not understand what the problem is if we peacefully conduct our Yatra after the examinees enter the centres,'' Chowdhury told reporters.

The Yatra commenced from Nabagram with a few vehicles as Gandhi rode a red SUV, with Congress supporters lining the road and some giving him flower bouquets.

Stating that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra programme in the afternoon will be held as per schedule, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that since the board examination is on in the morning, that has to be kept in mind as well.

''We will conduct the yatra following all rules since the Madhyamik examination is going on,'' senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

As per the schedule, the Yatra will and enter Pakur in Jharkhand with a flag handover ceremony at the border of the two states.

Stating that Friday is the last day of the Yatra in West Bengal, he said that it received an overwhelming response from the people in the state from day one.

''This goes on to show that the INDIA alliance is strong and will fight the 2024 general elections and will bring down BJP from 18 to zero seats (in West Bengal),'' he said.

BJP won 18 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal out of 42 in the 2019 general elections, while the Congress emerged victorious in two.

The opposition INDIA bloc suffered a setback when Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said that her party will fight the elections alone in West Bengal, but Ramesh has remained optimistic about clinching a ''mutually acceptable'' seat-sharing arrangement with the TMC in West Bengal.

The Congress, CPI(M)-led Left Front and the TMC are constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc, but the TMC and the CPI(M) have expressed strong reservations about having any truck with each other in West Bengal.

The Yatra was joined by the CPI(M) in Bengal with its state secretary Mohammed Salim, central committee member Sujan Chakraborty and other leaders participating in it.

The Yatra entered West Bengal from Assam on January 25 and went to Bihar on January 29. It reentered Bengal on January 31 through Malda.

Chowdhury said no loudspeakers will be used in the Yatra and will not do anything to hamper the interest of the examinees.

''We have requested the administration to allow Rahul Gandhi's vehicle and a few cars accompanying his vehicle,'' he said.

Chowdhury said that the Congress will not go into confrontation with the administration.

''We only want to see off Rahul Gandhi from West Bengal peacefully,'' he added.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Shantanu Sen said that during the school board examinations, some restrictions are put in place in West Bengal and everyone has to abide by it. ''Even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is holding her dharna programme abiding by the restrictions, without any loudspeakers and curbing any large congregation at it,'' Sen said. Banerjee will stage a dharna in Kolkata from Friday to protest against alleged withholding of the state's dues by the Centre. Without naming the Congress, he said that its programme has been held so far without any issue, but since the examination started from Friday, the restrictions have come into force and that the administration was only following the rules.