Bharat Jodo Yatra to enter J&K tomorrow amid tight security cover

Farooq, Lal Singh to welcome Rahul at Lakhanpur; 3000 km long foot-march to culminate with grand rally in Srinagar on January 30

Jammu, Jan 18 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY) would enter Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday, amid tight security measures in the Union Territory.

Congress insiders told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a grand welcome of Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra is planned at Lakhanpur at around 4.00 pm in the evening, where Jammu and Kashmir’s prominent social and political leaders including former chief minister Farooq Abdullah and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut would join the march.

Talking to KNO, NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah confirmed that he will join the Yatra at Lakhanpur.

Sources in PDP said Mehbooba Mufti would not be present in Lakhanpur tomorrow to welcome Rahul and would join the BJY either at Anantnag or Srinagar after January 26.

Former Congress leader, Choudhary Lal Singh, who had quit the grand old party in 2014, would also join the BJY at Lakhanpur. The flag handover ceremony will also take place at Lakhanpur.

Gandhi, who started foot march from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, would culminate the rally in Srinagar on January 30 after covering more than 3000 kilometers across the country.

Earlier, AICC J&K in-charge and member parliament Rajni Patil informed that BJY would enter Lakhanpur’s Kathua district of J&K from Punjab on January 19 at 4 pm.

“After the night halt at Hatli-morh Kathua, Rahul will lead the Yatra from January 20 morning and take a night halt at Chadwal,” she said.

The rally will reach Jammu on January 23 and the party is planning a big rally in the city for which required permission is awaited from the authorities. The Yatra would remain in the Jammu region for over a week.

She further added that the Yatra would enter Kashmir Valley from Jawahar Tunnel on January 27.

The closing ceremony of the Yatra would take place at Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium in Srinagar on January 30, where the party has planned a mega rally in which senior party leaders, chief ministers of Congress- states and heads of its allies among will be present.

Meanwhile, Director General of J&K Police Dilbagh Singh has said all security needs of the Yatra will be taken care of and security will be ensured in every district.

“Whatever security measures are needed will be put in place for the Yatra,” he said adding, “Yatra will be regulated to ensure that people don’t face inconveniences.”—(KNO)