Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his intervention in ensuring adequate security to the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. Then yatra is scheduled to end on Monday.
The request has come after the Yatra was suspended for a day in view of "security lapse":
Congress alleged that the J and K Police had withdrawn security around its leader Rahul Gandhi in the wake of surging crowds during the foot march in Qazigund.
"We are expecting a huge gathering to join the yatra over the next two days and also the function that will be held on January 30 at Srinagar. Many senior Congress leaders and leaders of other important political parties are attending the culmination function to be held on the 30th of January. I shall be grateful if you could personally intervene in this matter and advise the concerned officials to provide adequate security till the culmination of the yatra and the function on the 30th January at Srinagar," the Congress president said in his letter to the Home minister.
He said he is writing after the “unfortunate security lapse” during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
On the advice of the security officials in charge of the security detail of Rahul Gandhi, the Yatra had to be suspended, Kharge said.
"We appreciate the Jammu and Kashmir Police and welcome their statement saying they will continue to ensure complete security till the culmination of the journey," he said.
"You will appreciate the fact that a large crowd of common people has joined and walked in the Bharat Jodo Yatra every day. It is difficult for the organisers to tell exactly how many people are expected over the day as it is a spontaneous gesture of the common people to join the yatra,” Kharge wrote.
Kharge had earlier said that the alleged lapse in Gandhi's security detail in J and K during the Yatra was disconcerting to say the least.
“It is government of India's prime responsibility to provide security. India has already lost two PM's and scores of leaders and we demand better security for the Yatris," he said on Twitter.