The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is set to momentarily pause from February 26 to March 1, facilitating Rahul Gandhi”s participation in significant engagements. The Congress leader will deliver two special lectures at his alma mater, Cambridge University, and attend crucial meetings in Delhi, the party said on Wednesday.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress”s general secretary in-charge of communications, said that February 22 and 23 will serve as rest days for the yatra following its Kanpur leg on Wednesday. Resuming on February 24 from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, the yatra will proceed through Sambhal, Aligarh, Hathras, and Agra districts before reaching Dholpur in Rajasthan, where it will pause.

“February 26th to March 1st will be designated as break days to accommodate Rahul Gandhi”s longstanding commitment to deliver two special lectures at Cambridge University (UK) and attend crucial meetings in New Delhi,” Ramesh said in a social media post.

Rahul Gandhi”s visit to Cambridge University stirred a massive row last year. His lecture — “Learning to Listen in the 21st Century” — where he highlighted the pressure on democratic institutions and the suppression of opposition voices drew criticism from the ruling BJP, which accused him of defaming India and demanded an apology.

“Everybody knows and it”s been in the news a lot that Indian democracy is under pressure and under attack. I am an Opposition leader in India, we are navigating that (Opposition) space. The institutional framework which is required for democracy is Parliament, free press, and the judiciary, just the idea of mobilisation, and moving around all are getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy,” he had said.

The Narendra Modi government ripped into Rahul Gandhi and the Congress over his remarks. Law minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that the Congress leader was speaking the language of “anti-India forces” and a “gang” which had conspired to defame India.

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is slated to resume from Dholpur on March 2, embarking on a route that includes Morena, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Shajapur, and Ujjain districts in Madhya Pradesh. Gandhi”s itinerary also includes a visit to the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain on March 5, reminiscent of his previous darshan during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in November 2022.

This yatra, spanning from Manipur to Mumbai, aims to cover 6,700 kilometers through 15 states, advocating for the message of “nyay” (justice) and engaging with the populace along the way.