Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday began his two day visit to Jammu and Kashmir amid reports of a possible resumption of the process for holding assembly elections after the Delimitation Commission submits its report.
A Congress party tweet confirming Rahul Gandhi’s visit said, “Shri Rahul Gandhi will be in Jammu tomorrow for a two-day tour and visit to Mata Vaishno Devi Temple. Stay tuned to our social media platforms for his interactions.”
The former Congress president is expected to take a walk to the holy shrine. The visit has come close on the heels of his first visit to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir on 9-10 August this year with the purpose of inaugurating the Congress party’s new office.
Congress party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit head Ghulam Ahmed Mir speaking to news agency ANI gave the itinerary of Rahul Gandhi.
“The first thing he will do is pay obeisance to Mata Vaishno Devi. However, unlike other leaders who use choppers and horses to visit the temple, we believe that he has made up his mind to walk on foot from Katra to the temple. On his return, he will, once again, walk on foot. We have not scheduled any political engagements on the first day of his tour,” Mir said.
From Katra, after his Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, the Congress leader will head for a small party function in Jammu. Mir said the party workers had been given permission to hold a welcome programme for the party’s top leader.
“We have not stopped Congress workers from organising small programmes to welcome the former party president, on his way back from Katra. After the event in Jammu, he will also interact with some local party leaders,” Mir said.
Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit all the districts of Jammu and Kashmir after the improvement of situation with the objective of drawing peoples’ attention to the prevailing problems there, the party’s state unit head said.