Gujarat Congress

A new foot march, the 'Nyay Yatra’ (Justice March), has been initiated by the Congress party’s Gujarat faction from Morbi today.

Gujarat Congress aims to seek justice for the victims of various tragedies in the state, including the Rajkot fire incident, the Vadodara Harni boat tragedy, the Surat Takshashila fire incident, and the Morbi bridge collapse.

The march, which commenced in Morbi today, will pass through various cities of the state and will conclude in Gandhinagar on Aug 23. The 300 km long march will cover Morbi, Rajkot, Surendranagar, and Ahmedabad, before concluding in Gandhinagar.

Currently, the Nyay Yatra is progressing through Morbi, as it is slated to cover a distance of 23 km today. It will halt for the night at Tankara.

Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi, appealing to people to join the yatra on X, said, “To get justice for the victims of various incidents and scams and to expose the corruption of the BJP government, I urge you all to join the Nyay Yatra.”

Congress leaders Amit Chavda, Vimal Chudasama, Jeni Thummar, and Pal Ambaliya will lead the Nyay Yatra.

Amit Chavda criticised the BJP government, questioning their absence during the aftermath of these tragedies.

“This fight will continue until justice is served to the victims’ families. Despite so many months have passed, the victims’ families are still struggling for justice. This raises concerns over the BJP’s commitment to addressing their grievances,” Amit Chavda said.

MLA Vimal Chudasama alleged that the BJP government has consistently failed to take action against corrupt officials and those responsible for these tragedies.

“No action has been taken against the guilty officers or the current administration,” Chudasama said.

Jeni Thummar demanded that the state government should expedite justice for the victims’ families.

Pal Ambalia, President of Gujarat Pradesh Kisan Congress, highlighted the unique nature of this yatra, where the victims’ families are leading the march.

On Aug 11, the Yatra will reach Rajkot, and a condolence meeting will be held at the TRP Game Zone. The following day, it will cover key areas of Rajkot before reaching Surendranagar on Aug 13.

To allow people to present their grievances and issues, the Congress has brought a pot named ‘BJP’s Pot of Sins’ with them. People can drop their questions and complaints into this pot. At the end of the yatra, when the pot is full, it will be purposefully smashed, symbolising that the ‘BJP's Pot of Sins is full’.

Several national leaders are expected to join the Yatra. Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi have also been invited to join.

Contrasting response to Yatra

In response to the Congress Nyay Yatra, Gujarat BJP Vice President Bharat Boghra accused the Congress of using the Yatra for political gain.

“BJP has been ruling Gujarat for the past 28 years with the people’s support. The Congress is exploiting the victims’ plight for political purposes,” Boghra said.

A victim’s family in Surat appealed that the tragedy should not be politicised. The Takshashila tragedy victim families announced that they will not join the yatra even if Rahul Gandhi himself participates.

The victims’ families said, “If you want to do politics over the dead bodies, then we are not with you. We do not want to be political pawns. The Congress remembered us after five years of the tragedy. We are upset with their politics.”

They demanded that the case be heard on a day-to-day basis and be heard in the fast-track court for speedy justice.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)