Heavy rain and landslides on the Jammu–Srinagar Highway forced Rahul Gandhi to cancel the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the Ramban district towards the afternoon on Wednesday. The yatra is scheduled to resume on Friday.
Senior Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh tweeted; “Due to poor weather conditions and landslides in the area, the afternoon leg of BharatJodoYatra in Ramban & Banihal has been cancelled. Tomorrow is a rest day and the Yatra will resume the day after, January 27th at 8am”.
Braving a rainy morning, the former Congress president resumed the foot march from Maitra village, participated by hundreds of supporters and party workers. The Yatra will, however, enter South Kashmir on 27 January.
Deputy Commissioner, Ramban, Mussarat Zia, confirmed that the highway was blocked due to landslides at various places.
According to information, the Panthal Steel Tunnel area was blocked because of heavy landslides. The boulders rolled down, under the impact of the incessant rain at night, in Magarkote, hitting a tanker and a truck resulting in the death of the driver. Others, who sustained injuries have been rushed to hospital at Ramsoo.