People Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti joined Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to march in the closing stages of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ in Jammu and Kashmir’s Awantipora Area on Saturday
On Friday morning, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had joined the march from the Banihal area of the union territory’s Ramban district. Several party workers had lined up on both sides of the Banihal-Novyog tunnel – waiting to receive and cheer on their party leader.
The foot march resumed from Chersoo village in Awantipora after being cancelled on Friday due to an alleged “serious security breach” and “inadequate arrangements by the Jammu and Kashmir police”.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday sought the personal intervention of Union home minister Amit Shah in the alleged security lapse. In a letter to the union home minister, Kharge urged Shah to advise officials concerned to provide adequate security for the Rahul Gandhi-led foot march.
“We are expecting a huge gathering to join the yatra over the next two days and also the function that will be held on 30th January at Srinagar. Many senior Congress leaders and leaders of other important political parties are attending the culmination function to be held on the 30th of January,” Kharge wrote in the letter.
He added, “I shall be grateful if you could personally intervene in this matter and advise the concerned officials to provide adequate security till the culmination of the yatra and the function on the 30th January at Srinagar.”
Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra began on September 7 from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and will conclude in Srinagar on January 30. So far, the Yatra has covered Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab. The final leg of the march is underway in Jammu and Kashmir and will culminate in a function in Srinagar on January 30.
