BJP wants to confine tribal people to forests: Rahul Gandhi
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to confine tribal people to forests and deprive them of education and other major opportunities. Addressing his first public meeting in Assam as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Gandhi claimed the Congress recognizes the rights of 'adivasis' over resources as first dwellers.
Why does this story matter?
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, led by Gandhi, resumed for its sixth day on Friday. The Congress has said it is taking out the yatra as the central government did not allow it to discuss people's concerns in Parliament. The party also said this initiative aims to restore the principles of liberty, equality, justice, and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution of India. The outreach assumes significance given Congress's recent electoral embarrassment in three states before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Want what is yours to be returned to you: Gandhi
"We call you adivasi, which means the first dwellers. The BJP calls you vanvasi, which means people who live in forests," the Congress MP said. While attacking the BJP-led coalition government in Assam, Gandhi said it wants to deprive their children of the opportunities to go to schools and universities, learn English, and run businesses. "We (Congress) want what is yours to be returned to you. Your water, land, and forest should be yours," he added.
Watch: Day 6 of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
Most corrupt government in India is in Assam: Rahul
On Thursday, Gandhi criticized the Assam government, calling it "perhaps the most corrupt government." He also highlighted the civil war-like situation in Manipur and criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting the state. Regarding Nagaland, he questioned the status of the framework agreement signed by PM Modi nine years ago.
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra to cover 6,700km
The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra began in Manipur's Thoubal on January 14 and aims to cover more than 6,700 kilometers in 67 days before concluding in Maharashtra's Mumbai on March 20 or 21. In September 2022, Gandhi began the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari and ended it in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar in January 2023. The yatra covered a distance of over 4,000km in approximately 150 days and passed through 12 states.
