The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress party alleged that there was a big security lapse in Ramban district of the union territory during the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra.
“J&K UT administration failed to provide security to Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi. Security lapses indicate unfair and unprepared attitude of UT administration,” tweeted Rajani Patil, Congress in charge of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh union territories.
The yatra resumed from the Ramban district on Friday morning. Due to Republic Day, the Bharat Jodo Yatra had a day off on Thursday before continuing.
Landslides on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway forced the yatra’s second leg to be cancelled on Wednesday, forcing it to be stopped at Ramban.
“Security has been mishandled by concerned agencies here. For the last 15 mins, there have been no security officers with the Bharat Jodo Yatra here. This is a serious lapse. Rahul Gandhi and other yatris can’t walk without any security,” Congress leader KC Venugopal, was reported saying by ANI from Banihal.
Omar Abdullah, the head of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, joined the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra on Friday as it prepared to enter its Kashmir leg from Banihal in the Ramban area.
Gandhi and Abdullah went around two kilometres to the Truck Yard together from the railway station. Senior members of the National Conference, such as Sakeena, a former NC minister, and Nasir Aslam Wani, the provincial president of the NC, joined the duo.
The yatra will leave Banihal and travel via Qazigund into the Kashmir valley until it reaches Khanabal in the Anantnag district, where it will spend the night.
On September 7, the yatra left Kanyakumari and travelled through Punjab before arriving in Jammu & Kashmir.
On January 30, Gandhi will address a large crowd at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium and raise the national flag at the party headquarters in Srinagar, serving as the march’s grand finale.
