Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene personally in the alleged security failure of party leader Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. Kharge also urged the minister to warn the personnel in charge of providing adequate security for Rahul Gandhi’s foot march, which will last two days and conclude in an event in Srinagar on January 30.
“We are expecting a massive crowd to join the yatra over the next two days and also the event that will be held on 30th January at Srinagar. “Many top Congress leaders and leaders of other key political parties will attend the conclusion function on January 30th,” Kharge wrote in a letter.
“I would appreciate it if you could personally assist in this problem and instruct the concerned officials to give enough protection until the yatra and function conclude on the 30th of January in Srinagar,” he added.
On Friday, the Congress accused the government of removing security personnel from surrounding Rahul Gandhi and urged that those responsible be held accountable. Gandhi claimed he had to cancel his stroll for the day because police arrangements by the Jammu and Kashmir administration “sadly completely disintegrated”.
The Yatra had to be suspended on the suggestion of the security officers in charge of Rahul Gandhi’s security detail, according to Kharge.
“We applaud the Jammu and Kashmir Police and welcome their remark that they will continue to provide complete security until the journey’s end,” he said.
However, the Rajya Sabha’s opposition leader also stated, “You will appreciate the fact that a significant number of ordinary people have joined and walked in the Bharat Jodo Yatra on a daily basis. The planners are unable to predict how many people will attend the yatra because participation is a spontaneous act of the general public.”
Rahul Gandhi resumed his march from Banihal in Jammu, crossing the Jawahar Tunnel into the Valley in Qazigund in a bulletproof vehicle. However, only 500 meters after the tunnel, the Congress leader was urged by his security team to halt his march due to the lack of police personnel to supervise the massive crowd that had gathered to receive him.
“It’s tough to go against my security detail, so I had to cancel my walk for the day. The other yatris did, however, walk. “It is the responsibility of the administration to ensure crowd control and the role of the police,” he told reporters in Anantnag.
According to the J&K administration, the increased strain on security resources as a result of the larger-than-expected crowd size may have given the impression of a lack of security precautions.
“The Jammu and Kashmir Police were not consulted before the Bharat Jodo Yatra was canceled. “We will give perfect protection (for the yatra),” said Vijay Kumar, the assistant director general of police in charge of security in Kashmir valley.
