New Delhi: The concluding rally of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra will witness participation by 12 Opposition parties on Monday, Congress insiders said. They further revealed that out of the 21 "like-minded" Opposition parties invited by the Congress leadership to join the concluding rally, some are expected to skip the rally due to security reasons.
As to which parties are likely to skip the rally, Congress sources said that the TDP, Trinamool Congress, and the Samajwadi Party may not attend the final meeting of the Bharat Jodo Yatra scheduled to be held at the Sher Kashmir stadium.
They further revealed that the DMK, NCP, JD(U), RJD, Kerala Congress, CPI(M), CPI, the Uddhav Thackeray' faction of the Shiv Sena, Kerala Congress, National Conference, People's Democratic Party, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha will attend the rally.
On Saturday Rahul Gandhi was joined by his sister Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the Kashmir leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra after resuming from the Chersoo village in Awantipora following cancellation on Friday due to an alleged security breach. PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti also took part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Awantipora.
However, senior police officials have denied the allegation of a security breach raised by the Congress leadership and claimed that no such security lapse has taken place during the Kashmir leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra so far.
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The venue for the final rally of the Bharat Jpdo Yatra the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Ground in Sonawar has not only witnessed sports events such as the one in 1983 when the world champion India played a cricket match against the West Indies at the stadium, the fans looked excited, but they cheered for West Indies. After winning the World Cup trophy and defeating West Indies, the Indian team expected a rousing reception at the stadium in the valley. However, it turned out to be quite the opposite.
The stadium has also been an observer to serious political addresses, be it by former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Manmohan Singh. It is likewise observer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's discourse in 2015 in which he pronounced that he need not bother with anybody's recommendation on Kashmir.
Earlier this month Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his personal intervention to ensure that adequate security arrangements is made during the Yatra till its final day on January 30. "We appreciate the Jammu and Kashmir police and welcome their statement saying they will continue to ensure complete security till the culmination of the yatra," stated Kharge.
Addressing the issue of no intimation about large gatherings from Banihal joining the yatra Kharfe wrote, "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 organizers 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."
