Awantipora: Donning a jacket, albeit a sleeveless one, for the first time during Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi Saturday resumed walking from Kashmir’s Awantipora. He was joined by former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and her daughter Iltija Mufti.
Gandhi resumed his yatra after he had to abandon it Friday due to ‘security lapse’ in Qazigund. Amid heightened security, he could be seen wearing his white T-shirt, a green sleeveless jacket, and a woolen cap. This was his guard against the chilly Kashmiri winter morning, where most could be seen in pherans, jackets and multiple layers of clothing. Parts of Kashmir have already seen snowfall. However, after walking for a kilometre, Gandhi was seen once again without the jacket.
With hundreds of security personnel and PDP supporters, Bharat Jodo Yatra moved towards its final destination – Srinagar.
Gandhi’s t-shirts have been talked about, owing to the fact that he has worn them throughout the yatra, irrespective of the weather conditions.
A BJP minister in Uttar Pradesh, Brajesh Pathak had even claimed that Gandhi not feeling cold is a topic of research. He claimed he has discussed it with experts and the report will be made public soon.)
His black raincoat, which was initially mistaken for a jacket, in Jammu’s Kathua also gained attention as he wore it during rains.
While Gandhi has questioned this curiosity over his non-sweater look by initially claiming, “I do not wear a sweater because I am not scared of winter,” in a press conference earlier this month, he said, “I started walking from Kerala. It was hot and humid. When we entered Madhya Pradesh, there was a slight chill. One day, three poor girls in torn clothes came to me and wanted to get a picture clicked. When I hugged one of them, she was shivering. On that day, I decided that I will put on a sweater the day these children get one. Until the time I do not shiver, I will only wear a t-shirt.”
Bharat Jodo Yatra is set to culminate in Srinagar on 30 January with a mega rally.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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