Nagaland people should feel equal to all others in country: Rahul Gandhi

KOHIMA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said people of Nagaland should feel at par with others in the country despite hailing from a "small state".

Addressing a rally in the heart of Nagaland’s capital Kohima, as part of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', he said the idea of the march is to give "justice to the people" and to "make politics, society, and the economic structure more equal and accessible to everyone".

Gandhi visited Kohima War Cemetery and paid homage to those who made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty during World War II.

“It doesn't matter if you're a small state; you should feel equal to all other people in the country. That is the idea of the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'.

"To give justice to the people, to make politics, society, and the economic structure more equal & accessible to everyone," Gandhi said.

Gandhi, who embarked on the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ from Manipur on January 14, reached Nagaland on Monday evening.

Addressing another rally at the High School Junction, he said the Congress had earlier conducted the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from South India to Kashmir with the idea to "bring together different cultures, religions and languages".

This time, the party decided to have another yatra starting from the north-east as the region is "very central to the idea of India", he said.

“We started from Manipur and now crossing Nagaland. It’s a lovely experience. Thank you for all the affection. Jai Hind,” he said.

As the yatra crossed the state capital, hundreds of people, including women and children greeted him.

The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' would cover a distance of 6,713 km and 100 Lok Sabha constituencies and is scheduled to culminate in Mumbai in Maharashtra.