“Dhong For Justice”: Smriti Irani Reflects on ‘Bharat Nyay Yatra’, Rahul Gandhi Speaks

Amethi, Uttar Pradesh: Union minister Smriti Irani referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “Bharat Nyay Yatra” on Thursday as a hoax, claiming that those who are notorious for injustice are posing as justice seekers.

On the fringes of an event here, Ms. Irani, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, was answering a question on Mr. Gandhi’s intended yatra.

“Those who are known for injustice are doing ‘dhong’ (sham) for justice,” said Ms. Irani, the candidate who had beaten Gandhi in the most recent parliamentary election in Amethi.

Under Gandhi’s direction, the Congress will embark on a yatra from Manipur to Mumbai on January 14 in anticipation of the next Lok Sabha elections.

The 6,200-kilometer, 67-day trip from east to west will traverse 85 districts and 14 states.

It was Gandhi who had already organized the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

Ms. Irani is visiting her parliamentary seat of Amethi for two days. Speaking at the Social Empowerment Camp at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Gauriganj, she said that the Ayushman Bharat initiative of the BJP administration at the Centre offers financial support of up to ₹ 5 lakh to 10 crore impoverished households annually.

She said that by covering their medical expenses, the program had helped the underprivileged.

Additionally, Ms. Irani said that she had a conversation with the Amethi Chief Medical Officer, and that starting the next week, camps for the handicapped would be held in each of the Amethi region’s Nyaya Panchayats.