As part of the Kanyakumari to Kashmir "Bharat Jodo Yatra," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi unfurled the national flag at the iconic Lal Chowk clock tower in Srinagar and declared that a "promise" made to India had been kept.
The security for the 10-minute event was at its peak as all roads in a one-km radius leading to the chowk, which holds symbolic importance for the city, were sealed off from Saturday night and no vehicular movement was allowed.
Shops, businesses, and the weekly flea market were closed as part of the security drill, and concertina wires and barricades were put up at all entry points with a significant deployment of security personnel. Gandhi resumed the final lap of the yatra in Jammu and Kashmir from Srinagar's Pantha Chowk with the help of his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary, as well as other party leaders and workers.
That part of the march walked for about eight km to Sonwar raising slogans such as "Jodo Jodo Bharat Jodo", and along the way, were cheered and greeted by locals. Within a multi-layer security ring, Gandhi, in a white T-shirt which he has sported for most of the over 4,000-km yatra from India's southern tip, waved at people as yatris, including a large number of women, carrying the tricolour and Congress flags, moved towards Sonwar.
Gandhi, Priyanka and other top party figures arrived at their destination and then drove to the party's headquarters at M A Road. Later, they travelled to Lal Chowk, where Rahul raised the flag of the country. "Today's commitment to India was kept by raising the tricolour at Lal Chowk. Love will always triumph over hate. India will experience a new dawn of optimism, "Gandhi tweeted about the incident in Hindi.
