Ramban: Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra Wednesday was suspended for the rest of the day due to bad weather conditions and landslides on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
With the cancellation, the Congress leader will take off for Delhi later in the day and resume the march on Friday.
Rahul Gandhi will be flying to Delhi from Jammu and hoist the national flag in the capital on Republic Day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told ThePrint.
Gandhi will join other yatris and resume the foot march from Banihal, where it was supposed to halt for the night Wednesday. It will then enter the Kashmir valley through Qazigund in Anantnag district on 27 January.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is in its final leg will now be facing harsher weather conditions as the Valley is likely to experience snowfall/rainfall over the next 24 hours.
The first leg of the day – which took off from Maitra to Ramban city in Ramban district of Jammu region– was successfully completed, despite rain. The march began in Jammu on 20 January.
On Wednesday, traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was also suspended due to landslides in parts of Ramban district, which killed one truck driver and injured two others.
According to the schedule, Bharat Jodo Yatra was slated to reach Banihal Wednesday afternoon, before the yatra was suspended.
Informing about the suspension of the march, Jairam Ramesh wrote, “Due to poor weather conditions and landslides in the area, the afternoon leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ramban & Banihal has been cancelled. Tomorrow (26 January) is a rest day and the Yatra will resume the day after, January 27th at 8 am.”
Due to poor weather conditions and landslides in the area, the afternoon leg of #BharatJodoYatra in Ramban & Banihal has been cancelled. Tomorrow is a rest day and the Yatra will resume day after, January 27th at 8am.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 25, 2023
J&K traffic police had already advised in the morning that vehicles should avoid movement on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
“Traffic update at 0830 hrs Jammu Srinagar NHW through but intermittent shooting stones continue at Mehar and Panthyal, weather rainy. People are advised not to travel on Jammu Srinagar NHW between Nashri and Banihal till Bharat Jodo yatra is over,” wrote J&K traffic police.
“From Ramban, Rahul ji is returning because of bad weather. We have to look at yatris as well”, J&K Congress working president Raman Bhalla told ThePrint.
Meanwhile, the Congress party is yet to announce the exact schedule for the rest of the yatra in Kashmir valley.
The walkathon will be in the Valley for three days, before a mega rally on 30 January in Srinagar, which will mark the culmination of the long march that began over four months ago, in Kanyakumari on 7 September.
Also read: Why Maharashtra Congress is unravelling — family feuds, too many power centres, BJP factor