It was perhaps for the first time on its 131st day on Wednesday that the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra had to halt in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir because of landslides and bad weather.

The Yatra was progressing smoothly since 7 September last year when it started from Kanyakumari, but has started facing hurdles of landslides, mudslides and shooting stones coming from hilltops on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on its last leg after covering more than 3,700 kilometres of foot march.

The afternoon leg of Rahul’s Yatra on Wednesday was cancelled due to bad weather and landslides on the highway in the Ramban district. Consequently, Rahul was unable to reach Banihal.

PCC chief Vikar Rasool Wani said that after marching for 6 km, Rahul kept waiting on the highway for about three hours before the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police, Ramban, advised him to suspend the Yatra in view of the landslides. Rahul will now come to Banihal from Srinagar side to resume the Yatra to the valley on 27 January, Wani added.

The Yatra had resumed early morning from Maitra village in Ramban amidst rain and chill but the afternoon leg was suspended due to bad weather.

This also provided an opportunity to Rahul Gandhi to experience the bad condition of the interior roads. Resuming his foot march from the Maitra village after the night halt, he had to cautiously tread the path from the hillside as rain water had collected in the middle of the poor quality road.

Giving information about the halt of Yatra, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted; “Due to poor weather conditions and landslides in the area, the afternoon leg of Bharat Jodo Yatra in Ramban & Banihal has been cancelled. Tomorrow is a rest day and the Yatra will resume the day after, January 27th at 8am”.

It was also raining in the area and snowing at higher reaches. Rahul was seen at times wearing rain jacket to protect himself from the drizzle while others accompanying him were wearing woolen and cap. Rahul on Tuesday told mediapersons that he feels warmth of love and affection of people towards the Yatra and as such he feels comfortable in the white T-shirt.

The Yatra will enter south Kashmir from Banihal.

Rajni Patil, MP and Congress in-charge of J&K, said she was stranded on the highway for more than four hours. She has been shuttling between places on the highway to supervise arrangements for the Yatra.

In its update, the Traffic Police said at 1:30 pm that the highway continues to remain blocked due to shooting stones, landslides and mudslides at several places between Charkote and Banihal.

Shooting stones continue to rain at Mehar and Panthyal.

Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Mussarat Zia, confirmed that the highway was blocked due to landslides at various places.

The Panthal steel tunnel area was blocked due to landslides. Due to overnight rains, boulders rolled down in Magarkote hitting a tanker and truck resulting in on the spot death of truck driver and injuries to others, who have been shifted to the hospital at Ramsoo.

Men and machines have been pressed into service to reopen the highway but rain and chill were playing spoilsport.

Many higher areas of Ramban and Banihal were having snowfall.