Congress will launch 'Assam Jodo Yatra' on Nov 1: Jairam Ramesh

Guwahati, Sep 17 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh announced here on Friday that the party would launch the 'Assam Jodo Yatra', the Assam version of 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', on November 1.

He also said that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will not succeed in derailing the Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra.

"No matter how much Sarma tries to influence the party MLAs, Congress will not stop. We don't care if any MLA leaves the party like Sarma had done in the past," Ramesh said.

He added that Sarma should stop thinking about the Congress and concentrate on working for the welfare of Assam.

Sarma had earlier criticised Rahul Gandhi and advised him to launch the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Pakistan, stating that Congress was responsible for the Partition of the country.

In this context, Ramesh told mediapersons that the country has been divided under the BJP rule.

"The country is facing tremendous economic inequality, social polarisation, and centralisation of power, which have created massive divisions among various sections of the society," he said.

"Today, people are divided over religion, culture and even food habits. The powers of the state governments have been snatched by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO)," Ramesh claimed.

The senior party leader also dropped a hint about the Congress' plan to launch the second phase of Bharat Jodo Yatra from Arunachal Pradesh to Gujarat next year.