Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday demanded that the central government order an inquiry into the alleged lapse in the security of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Jammu and Kashmir during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Gandhi on Friday said he had to cancel his walk for the day because police arrangements by the Jammu and Kashmir administration "unfortunately completely collapsed".
Gandhi, who began his yatra from Banihal in Jammu region, crossed the Jawahar tunnel into the Valley in Qazigund in a bulletproof vehicle but could walk for barely 500 metres after that. He was asked by his security team to stop given the absence of police personnel to manage the large crowd that had gathered to receive him.
In a tweet, Gehlot said, "The lapse in the security of Rahul Gandhi in Jammu and Kashmir is a serious matter. The government and administration of Jammu and Kashmir should make concrete arrangements in this regard. We have already lost Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi." The home minister should immediately get an inquiry conducted into the matter to ascertain the reason behind the lapse and at what level it occurred.
PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra and other Congress leaders also condemned the security lapse, terming it a serious incident.
Gandhi will resume his journey on Saturday from Awantipora, 33 km from Srinagar.
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