Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra put democracy, Constitution at centre of public discourse: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday said the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, played a key role in making the protection of democracy and the Constitution a central theme of public discourse and the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.

Marking the second anniversary of the launch of the yatra, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the nationwide march helped shift the political conversation towards constitutional values and democratic safeguards.

“It is to the credit of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra that the protection of democracy and the Constitution of India became a central feature of the Lok Sabha 2024 election campaign and our public discourse today,” Ramesh said in a post on X.

Recalling the journey, he said Rahul Gandhi had embarked on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai on 14 January 2024, at a time when the northeastern state was reeling under ethnic violence. Over the next two months, the rally covered around 6,600 kilometres across 15 states, highlighting issues of social, economic and political justice, he added.

The Congress leader said the yatra sought to articulate a political alternative centred on harmony, brotherhood and equity, in contrast to what the party describes as a climate of hatred, violence and concentration of power.

At the launch of the march in Manipur, Gandhi had said the Congress would present a new vision for India — one rooted in inclusiveness and justice, and free from what he termed as politics of fear and division.

The 63-day-long yatra concluded on 16 March 2024 in Mumbai, where Gandhi paid tributes to B.R. Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi, his memorial, and read out the Preamble of the Constitution in a symbolic assertion of the party’s emphasis on constitutional values.

The Congress has since repeatedly invoked the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in its political messaging, projecting it as a turning point that helped place issues such as institutional independence, civil liberties and democratic accountability at the heart of national debate.

Party leaders have also argued that the themes raised during the march resonated during the 2024 general election campaign, shaping opposition narratives around the defence of constitutional principles and the need for social and economic justice.

The yatra followed the earlier Bharat Jodo Yatra of 2022–23, which the Congress had described as an effort to counter divisive politics and reconnect with grassroots concerns across the country.