Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Rahul Gandhi cuts short campaign in UP for this reason

Owing to the state board examinations for classes 10 and 12 in Uttar Pradesh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has decided to reduce the duration of his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in the state, party members said on Monday.

The yatra was earlier scheduled to remain in Uttar Pradesh till February 26.

"Setting an example of sensitivity, Rahul Gandhi ji has given public interest a priority on many occasions," state Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said in a statement. "Keeping in mind the UP Board examinations starting from February 22, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will remain in Uttar Pradesh from February 16 to February 21."

Awasthi also added that earlier, Rahul Gandhi had cancelled his rallies in Bengal out of concern for the people during the Covid-19 period.

He also said that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will enter the state through Varanasi on February 16, and reach Amethi on February 19 via Bhadohi, Prayagraj and Pratapgarh.

On February 19, Gandhi will address a public meeting in Gauriganj in Amethi Lok Sabha constituency, The next day, on February 20, the yatra will reach Rae Bareli. From there, it will proceed to Lucknow.

The participants of the march, including Gandhi, are likely to make a night halt in Lucknow.

On February 21, the yatra will reach Unnao from Lucknow. It will enter Kanpur via Unnao city and Shuklaganj. Later, it will reach Jhansi via Kanpur and Hamirpur. On the same day, the yatra would enter Madhya Pradesh.

The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' was announced in December by Congress Member of Parliament KC Venugopal. The yatra started on January 14 from Manipur and is supposed to end in Mumbai.

The 6,200-km long march is expected to cover 14 states and 85 districts. These states include Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

(With PTI inputs)