Pulwama (J&K): Congress leader Alka Lamba on Saturday called for elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Lamba is in Kashmir for the last leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi. In a conversation with ETV Bharat, Lamba said that there is pain among the people of JK which they want to share with Rahul Gandhi during the Yatra in Kashmir.
“There is pain among the people. The most important issue is the restoration of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir (assembly elections),” she said. Under the prevailing circumstances, the onus is on Rahul Gandhi to listen to the pain of the people. He wanted to listen to people. There is nobody to listen to them, she said.
Lamba further said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra will be dedicated to women in Kashmir on Saturday. We want to listen to the women folk... to listen to their issues and demands, Lamba said. Over the alleged lapse in Rahul Gandhi's security in south Kashmir on Friday, Lamba said crowd swell was not an excuse.
Also read: Day after 'security lapse', Rahul Gandhi resumes Kashmir leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra
People thronged to meet Rahul, but the police failed to provide him the security. Rahul was forced to suspend the yatra. Had police not erred in the security, we could have completed the scheduled stretch of the yatra, she said. Lamba said that people were wondering if the Yatra would enter Kashmir and whether people would turn up. “But you saw how people braved cold to join Rahul for the yatra,” she said beaming with pride.
Lamba said she was satisfied with the security now. Rahul on Saturday started the concluding leg of the yatra in Kashmir at 9 am from Shiraz filling station Nambal in Awantipora and will halted at Birla Open Minds International School Pampore in the afternoon. The Yatra will have a night stay at Truck Yard Pantha Chowk in Srinagar. Rahul will address the concluding mega rally of the yatra in Srinagar where he will unfurl the tricolor at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Jan. 30.
