GUWAHATI:
Assam version of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which was launched by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) from Golokganj on November 1, got a good response from people with leading citizens along with grass workers of the party joining the march in Upper Assam.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra in Assam will pass through 13 of the 33 districts in the state and cover 834 km in 70 days. The march led by APCC president Bhupen Kumar Bora passed through Teok in Jorhat district on its 34th day on December 4.
The march started from the office of Kaliapani Block Congress and culminated at Kaliapani Lakshmi Mandir playground.
Before taking out the march, APCC president Bhupen Kumar Bora, Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia and several other senior leaders offered prayer at Dhekuakhowa Barnamghar. They also visited the maidan of national hero Lachit Barphukan at Holongapar and paid homage to the departed general.
“The people of Assam are sleeping lions. We are coming to wake them from their sleep. When they awake, they will take the decision,” said Bhupen Kumar Bora addressing a rally at Kaliapani Lakshmi Mandir playground.
Borah said the BJP and the AIUDF complement each other. The BJP’s graph in Assam began rising after the AIUDF was born in 2005 to cater to the aspirations of the minorities, specifically the Bengali-origin Muslims, he said.
“BJP and AIUDF are both communal forces. One communal force can’t survive, and for their survival, they are supporting each other internally and they are dividing the people openly,” Bora added.
In the rally, the Congress leaders appealed to all sections of the people to come forward to oust both the communal forces to restore peace and progress in the state.
The Yatra will have a stop on Monday. On Tuesday, the march will start from Amguri in the morning and Nazira in the evening hours.
Besides reconnecting with party workers and the general public, the party aims to revive its dwindling fortunes in the state.
The Congress has faced setbacks in the elections in the state at parliamentary, assembly, municipal and panchayat levels since 2014 general election.
“The Bharat Jodo Yatra will strengthen our contact with the grass root workers and mass people. We can send our message to the people directly without any via media through this Yatra,” claimed Rajesh Joshi, general secretary, APCC.
“Earlier, the ruling party claimed that this Yatra will not get any response in Upper Assam. But we are getting good response in Upper Assam too,” Joshi added.
MP Gaurav Gogoi, Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia, Rakibul Hussain, Rana Goswami, Kamalakshya Dey Purkayastha, Bhaskar Baruah, APCC vice president Rupa Deori, APCC general secretaries Apurba Kumar Bhattacharyya, Ramanna Baruah, Golap Saikia, Seva Dal chief organiser Deep Bayan, APCC social media cell chairman Ratul Kalita, leader of Teok Congress Pallabi Gogoi, Jorhat District Congress president Putul Gogoi, Mahila Congress president Meera Barthakur Goswami and several hundreds of leaders and workers of the opposition party took part in the march.