Assam: Expelled youth Congress leader Angkita Dutta fails to get justice from Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

On January 18, 2024, Angkita Dutta, the former head of the Assam Youth Congress, found herself at the center of a political storm as she sought justice from Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam. 

Dutta had been expelled from the primary membership of the Congress party for six years on April 22, 2023, following her allegations of sexual harassment against Indian Youth Congress president Srinivas B. V.

Despite her suspension, Dutta remained hopeful that Gandhi's yatra, which aimed to address injustices and create a more equitable society, would provide her with the 'nyay' (justice) she sought. 

She staged a sit-in protest with her supporters in Sivasagar district’s Amguri along the yatra route, displaying posters that read “Nyay for Angkita” and questioning the daily injustice faced by women.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' faces protest in Assam

Dutta's demonstration highlighted a stark contrast between the yatra's mission and her personal quest for justice within the same party leading the movement. 

Her efforts to submit a memorandum and seek reinstatement in the party were in vain as Gandhi's convoy passed without granting her an audience. 

This incident sparked a debate on the effectiveness of the Congress party's internal mechanisms to address such serious allegations and the broader implications for justice within political organizations.

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, led by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, was a mass movement that traversed the country, including a path through Manipur, with the goal of fostering justice, equality, and accessibility in politics, society, and the economic structure. However, Dutta's unresolved case posed questions about the inclusivity and sincerity of the yatra's objectives, especially when it came to addressing grievances from within its ranks.

Angkita Dutta's plight underscores the challenges individuals face when seeking redressal for wrongs within powerful institutions, and it casts a shadow on the Congress party's commitment to upholding the very principles it publicly advocates.