Notably, Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah also joined Gandhi at Banihal
Congress party’s ambitious Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed from Jammu and Kashmir’s Banihal on Friday morning but soon after, got disrupted due to an alleged security lapse, party sources said. J&K’s Congress in-charge Rajani Patil took to Twitter and blamed the union territory administration for failing provide proper security during the yatra.
However, government sources denied claims of a security lapse and told CNN-News18 that it is all a “ploy to gain sympathy”. Sources said Congress is not keen on taking the yatra to Srinagar and wants to a abandon it midway.
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Notably, Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah also joined Gandhi at Banihal. Donning a white T-shirt like Gandhi, Abdullah started walking with the Congress leader, along with hundreds of Congress party supporters.
“The Bharat Jodo Yatra is not aimed at improving the image of Rahul Gandhi but for improving the situation in the country,” the NC leader told reporters upon his arrival in this highway town of Banihal, 120 km from Srinagar.
Gandhi, after reaching Qazigund, started to walk towards Vessu in South Kashmir as per the plan but the Congress workers suddenly found that the outer cordon, which was to be managed by Jammu and Kashmir police, had disappeared, Congress leaders alleged.
Gandhi was scheduled to walk 11 kms on Friday but had to call off after he barely walked 500 metres, they said.
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Government sources also said the J&K administration is providing full security to the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra. The administration is ready to increase the number of police personnel if the congress party wants them, sources said.
“Jammu and Kashmir government from day one has been providing foolproof security arrangements to the Yatra and any allegation suggesting otherwise, is totally baseless and far from reality,” official sources said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the yatra had to be stopped at Ramban and its second leg cancelled due to landslides along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway. From Banihal, the yatra was slated to enter the Kashmir valley through Qazigund and reach Anantnag district’s Khanabal area.
The yatra started from Kanyakumari on September 7 and entered Jammu and Kashmir via Punjab.
