After hoisting the national flag at Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Sunday noon, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi challenged Home Minister Amit Shah to undertake a foot march from Jammu to Lal Chowk as the BJP claims that all is well in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

Rahul, who was in the evening replying to questions of mediapersons in Srinagar on the culmination of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, said that targeted killings and bomb blasts were continuing in J&K and it was improper on the part of the BJP to claim that the situation has improved in J&K.

He said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra was from south to north but it had a national effect as it got tremendous response and love from the people. “We saw the resilience and strength of the people of India during this journey. We also got to hear about the issues being faced by farmers, and unemployed youth in the country,” he said.

Speaking about incursions by China in eastern Ladakh, Rahul said that the “Government’s approach of denying that Chinese have taken our land is extremely dangerous. It is perhaps only the PM who believes that China has done nothing on our land.”

“Such approach will give China more confidence to do more aggressive things. We have to deal with the Chinese firmly and firmly tell them they are sitting on our land and this won’t be tolerated.”

Replying to questions on disunity among the opposition, Rahul said though opposition parties may have their differences, they will stand united against the RSS-BJP.

Rahul said that during his foot march from Jammu to Srinagar he observed that no one was happy in J&K. Restoration of statehood and democratic process was a top priority in J&K and Ladakh UTs.

He said the Yatra was a step towards bridging the gap with the common people. It is unfortunate that a new trend of political parties communicating with the people through media, interviews and press conferences has emerged creating a gap between both.

Earlier, in a pre-poned function during the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hoisted the National Flag at the Clock Tower near the Lal Chowk in Srinagar.

An unexpectedly large number of people joined the Yatra at the Pantha Chowk when it headed towards Srinagar in the morning. The Yatra that began from Kanyakumari culminated after the flag hoisting.

Accompanied by Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi and several Congress leaders, Rahul unfurled the tricolor at 12 noon to mark the end of the foot march that began on 7 September from Kanyakumari and covered more than 4080 kilometres.

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Rajya Sabha MPs Randeep Singh Surjewala and Rajni Patil and also Jairam Ramesh were among those present.

Flag hoisting by Rahul has come 75 years after India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru for the first time unfurled the tricolor at the Lal Chowk, said Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.

Giving reason for preponing the flag hoisting event, Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “Rahul Gandhi was supposed to unfurl the national flag on January 30th in the PCC office, since permission to do so elsewhere wasn’t given. Last evening, the state administration allowed him to do so in Lal Chowk, but under condition that it should be done today on 29th at the end of Bharat Jodo Yatra.”

He said that during 116 days of footmarch, the Yatra crossed through 12 States and UTs. Rahul addressed 12 public meetings and over 100 corner meetings, he said.