Priyanka Gandhi, Mehbooba Mufti join Rahul’s yatra in Kashmir
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Saturday joined by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti during his Bharat Jodo Yatra that resumed from Chersoo village in Kashmir’s Awantipora after being cancelled on Friday.
Mehbooba was accompanied by her daughter Iltija and mother in the yatra, which reached Pampore on the outskirts of Srinagar amid high security arrangements.
Three-tier security was in place on Saturday with the local police, CRPF, army’s Rashtriya Rifles conducting road domination in the nearby villages along the national highway.
“Traffic was diverted today and the yatra moved smoothly,” additional director general of police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said while dismissing the claim of security lapse on Friday.
Terming the yatra a breath of fresh air in Kashmir, Mehbooba said, “It is for the first time since 2019 that Kashmiris have come out of their homes in such massive numbers. It was a great experience to walk with him.”
Rahul, during his foot march, also stopped to pay homage to the bravehearts of the Pulwama terror attack. It came days after he expressed his disagreement with senior party leader Digvijaya Singh over his remarks.
Priyanka joined the yatra at Lethpora for the last few kilometers before the culmination of its Saturday leg.
A large number of Congress workers and locals assembled at several places to welcome the yatra along the route on the national highway.
“For us, this is a historic moment. Rahul walked more than 3,500 kilometers just for the sake of unity of the country and different communities. In J&K, this is the need of the hour and the way local people came out to welcome Rahul is an eye opener for those trying to divide the country,” said Mir Iqbal, a participant and Congress worker.
National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah, who had joined the yatra at Banihal on Friday, said it has generated good response in Jammu and Kashmir, but TV channels and experts are silent on it.
“The talking heads are largely silent & the channels don’t really want to talk about it but you don’t have to be visually challenged to see the #BharatJodaYatra has got a very good response from Kashmiris. Young & old, men & women, have been lining the road & marching for unity (sic),” he tweeted on Saturday.
“The most glaring silence has been from those Kashmir experts who waste no opportunity to paint Kashmiris as anti-national, communal, and intolerant. The public participation flies in the face of this propaganda and that explains the total radio silence,” he added.
On Saturday morning, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had also sought the personal intervention of Union home minister Amit Shah in the alleged security lapse during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. He urged the minister to advise the officials concerned to provide adequate security for the Rahul Gandhi-led foot march, which will continue for another two days and culminate in a function in Srinagar on January 30.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, said, “The Bharat Jodo Yatra has covered 75 districts of the country, including 10 in J&K.”
J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool said despite high security issues and closure of all roads, thousands of people came to receive Rahul, especially the youth.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, criticised Rahul for walking along with Mehbooba Mufti.
“Will Rahul Gandhi apologise for rubbing shoulders with those who bat for two flags and two laws in J&K or does he support the same? Hope Rahul tenders an apology at the Lal Chowk on January 30 for holding hands of those who oppose J&K’s integration with the Indian Union,” said BJP state spokesperson Altaf Thakur.
