Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called off his Bharat Jodo Yatra walk in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, alleging security lapses. Rahul, who was supposed to walk 20km in Kashmir, had to stop after walking about a km because police arrangements unfortunately "completely collapsed".
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had joined Rahul during the yatra. According to NDTV, as Rahul crossed the Banihal tunnel on his way to Srinagar, a large crowd awaited him and he was unable to move forward.
Police personnel who were supposed to manage the crowd were nowhere to be seen, Rahul told reporters. "It's the Jammu and Kashmir administration's responsibility to provide security... I hope security will now be ensured for the remaining days of the yatra,” he added.
As party members and Rahul's security team felt uncomfortable, the former Congress chief was taken away in a bullet-proof security vehicle and the yatra was called off for the day. "For 15 minutes, there were no security officers with the Bharat Jodo Yatra. This is a very serious lapse. Rahul Gandhi and other yatris cannot walk without security," Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that Rahul's security team is holding discussions with the Jammu and Kashmir administration to ensure that everything goes off smoothly for the next few days.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra which began from Kanyakumari in September last year will culminate with a finale in Srinagar on January 30.