Rahul Gandhi hoists tricolour at Srinagar’s iconic Lal Chowk

SRINAGAR — Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi unfurled the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar city in the presence of his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders, and marked the end of the foot-march that began on September 7 last year.

An unnamed official, quoted by the news agency KNS, said that Rahul Gandhi hoisted the national flag at Srinagar’s iconic Lal Chowk in presence of sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders. Pertinently, Sunday marks the last walking day of the Yatra.

Earlier, prominent leaders like PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah joined Gandhi, along with his sister Priyanka in Awantipora and Banihal, respectively.

Notably, the Kanyakumari to Kashmir Yatra started from the southern tip of the country on September 7 and ends on January 30 in Srinagar, some 145 days and nearly 4,000 km later.

Rahul Gandhi’s tricolour hoisting in Lal Chowk shows drastic change in J&K: Ravinder Raina

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) J&K President, Ravinder Raina on Sunday said the hoisting of tricolour in Lal Chowk by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shows a drastic change in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of Article 370.

Raina said that hoisting the tricolour in Srinagar clearly shows a drastic change in the ground situation in J&K and added, “All credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s able leadership for this gross change.”

“It took Congress and its leaders 70 years to hoist the national flag in Lal Chowk. If Rahul Gandhi hoisted tricolour today, it happened only due to the bold leadership of PM Narendra Modi”, Raina said.

Praising the efforts of PM Modi, the BJP leader said the way PM Modi assaulted anti-national elements and rejuvenate the lost confidence among the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “The PM Modi restored peace and brotherhood in J&K post-abrogation of Article 370 and 35(A), then it became possible for Rahul Gandhi-like leaders to come and hoist the flag in J&K,” Raina said.

While criticizing the Congress leadership, Raina said, “No Congress leader dared till date to hoist the national flag in Lal Chowk. Be it Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Raju Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi who headed United Progressive Alliance (UPA) for 10 years but no one among them dared to ensure peace in J&K and hoist tricolour here.”

He hailed PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah for bringing peace to J&K and added, “After the eco-system of anti-national elements stood collapsed, Rahul Gandhi felt the need to visit Kashmir valley and hoist the tricolour here.”

“Had there been a Congress government, the hoisting of the tricolour in Lal Chowk would not have been possible,” Raina added.