Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s vehicle was allegedly attacked and media persons accompanying the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ were “manhandled” by miscreants in Assam’s Sonitpur district on Sunday. The Yatra is on its fourth day in the state, travelling from Biswanth district through Sonitpur to Nagaon.
The incident took place near Jamugurighat when a programme organised by the BJP was taking place and some of the media persons had got off the vehicles to get some visuals, All India Congress Committee (AICC) communications coordinator Mahima Singh told PTI.
“The car of Ramesh ji and some others were moving to join the main Yatra entourage near Jamugurighat when it came under attack,” Singh said.
She said that the police were informed and additional superintendent of police has reached the spot.
She said Nyay Yatra stickers from his vehicle were torn out and the attackers attempted to put a BJP flag on the vehicle, nearly breaking the rear glass.
“The camera, badge and other apparatus of a vlogger who has been covering the Yatra were snatched. Members of the social media team of the party were also manhandled,” she said.
“They created a very intimidating situation for us. They have refused to return the camera of the vlogger, claiming that it was not snatched,” she added.
The ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ is in its fourth day in Assam, having re-entered after a night halt in Arunachal Pradesh. It is scheduled to travel through Assam till January 25, covering a total of 833 km across 17 districts. After the successful completion of the Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ held last year, Gandhi has begun an east-to-west Manipur-to-Mumbai 6,713 km yatra, spanning 67 days. The Yatra will be done on foot as well as bus ride.