Rahul Gandhi leaves for farmers protest, cancels second leg of Jharkhand's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

NEW DELHI: The second phase of Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Jharkhand, which was supposed to begin on Wednesday, has been reportedly called off. According to PTI, the cancellation occurred because the senior Congress leader had to rush to Delhi to participate in the ongoing farmers' protest in the national capital.
Farmers from Punjab are gearing up to march to Delhi for a second day to demand various rights, including a law on minimum support prices for crops and loan waivers.
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The planned interaction with MGNREGA workers in Ranka, Garhwa district, will now be conducted by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and other party members. Gandhi was initially scheduled to re-enter Jharkhand through Garhwa district from Chhattisgarh on Wednesday for the second phase of his yatra in the state.
"As decided late Tuesday night, all programs under Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra have been cancelled in Jharkhand," stated Congress spokesperson Sonal Shanti, adding that it was unlikely the yatra would resume in Jharkhand at a later date. AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur, Jharkhand in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir, NSUI in-charge Kanhiya Kumar, and other senior Congress leaders will now participate in the planned interaction with MGNREGA workers in Ranka on Wednesday.
The first phase of Gandhi's yatra in Jharkhand took place in early February. It entered Jharkhand from West Bengal on February 2 and left for Odisha on February 6. Gandhi was expected to spend two days in Jharkhand during the second phase before entering Bihar on February 15.
The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,' which began in Manipur on January 14, is planned to cover 6,713 km in 67 days, passing through 110 districts in 15 states, before concluding in Mumbai on March 20.