Congress Party's Unite India Rally entered Kashmir on Friday morning - only to be suspended soon afterwards.
Rahul Gandhi - who was leading hundreds of party workers and supporters on the march from the southern tip of India in Tamil Nadu state’s Kanyakumari - was joined by senior regional politicians, including the former state chief Omar Abdullah, in Kashmir.
The latest section of the Bharat Jodo Yatra march began at the Banihal area in Jammu and entered Kashmir’s Valley’s Qazigund after crossing a 9-km-long tunnel that connects Kashmir to the rest of the world.
Kashmir has witnessed an ongoing anti-India insurgency for the past three decades during which several politicians have been killed or attacked by militants demanding the region’s independence or merger with Pakistan.
Gandhi’s high-profile visit had prompted authorities in the region to take massive security measures by increasing frisking and checkpoints and deploying personnel at vulnerable areas along the route that the Congress Party was supposed to use.
Was There a Security Breach?
“The outer ring of the cordon which was maintained by J&K police simply vanished within minutes of Rahul Gandhi starting to walk. We had just crossed into Kashmir from Jammu and were looking forward to the 11 km walk but, unfortunately, it had to be canceled,” tweeted former J&K state chief Omar Abdullah.
Senior members of the party told Sputnik that J&K police was supposed to maintain a safe distance between the crowds and Gandhi by making a ring around him while Gandhi's own security protocol is supposed to guard him inside the circle. However, this apparently did not go according to the original plan.
Senior Congress politician G. A. Mir expressed disbelief at the “confusion” within the security apparatus: “Our party has had several meetings with the administration in which we clearly told them our schedule. Yet this happened. I don’t know why the administration is confused.”
Rest of March 'Continued Peacefully'
In response to Congress Party allegations, J&K police issued a statement saying that the party had not briefed them that a “large gathering” was due to join the yatra.
The police said that full security arrangements were put in place, including “15 companies of paramilitary forces, 10 companies of Jammu and Kashmir police comprising road opening parties and quick reaction teams."
“Only authorised persons as identified by organisers and frisked crowd were allowed inside towards the route of [the] Yatra. Organisers and managers of BJY [Bharat Jodo Yatra] did not intimate about large gathering from Banihal joining the Yatra, which thronged near the starting point,” the police said.
The police added that it was not consulted before taking any decision on discontinuation of the Yatra after conducting a 1 km march by organizers. “Rest of Yatra continued peacefully. There was no security lapse at all. We will provide foolproof security,” the police said.
A senior Congress leader said that the rally will be joined by Rahul Gandhi’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, as well as former J&K state chief Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday. “The Yatra will see a lot of women participation and we are hoping we are allowed to move freely,” said the leader.