Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra to enter Punjab today; special squad to provide protection to Congress MP

Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul Gandhi will address a public meeting on January 11 after paying obeisance at the gurdwara there, he said. The yatra, which began from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, will end with Gandhi hoisting the national flag in Srinagar on January 30. It is currently passing through Haryana.

NEW DELHI: The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra will enter Punjab through the Shambhu border on Tuesday (January 10) and proceed to the Fatehgarh Sahib, according to Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring. On Wednesday, January 11, after paying obeisance at the Gurdwara Sahib, the Congress MP will address a public meeting before embarking on the Punjab leg of his foot march.

Gandhi will address a public meeting on January 11 after paying obeisance at the gurdwara there, he said. The yatra, which began from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7, will end with Gandhi hoisting the national flag in Srinagar on January 30. It is currently passing through Haryana.

Warring had earlier said the yatra will traverse through Punjab for seven days and a mega-rally will be organized at Pathankot on the concluding day before it leaves for Jammu and Kashmir from Madhopur on its last leg.

Special Squad to provide protection to Rahul Gandhi

Meanwhile, the Punjab Police has constituted a special squad to provide protection for Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra. Sukhchain Gill, Inspector General of Police (IGP), has told a news agency that a special squad has been formed with an ADGP rank officer in charge and an AIG rank officer who would be on duty throughout the yatra. Gill said that the state’s police are making special arrangements to ensure the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra passes through the state smoothly in eight days.

Though there is no official confirmation, reports stated that there will be at least 150 personnel of the Punjab Police in close proximity of Rahul Gandhi to ensure his safety. District police officials have been directed to make arrangements to streamline traffic and various choke points have been identified by the traffic police to ensure that Rahul Gandhi-led march passes smoothly through the state.

It may be recalled that the Congress general secretary K C Venugopal had last month written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about alleged security breaches in Rahul Gandhi's security when the march entered the national capital.

in his letter, Venugopal alleged that the yatra's security was compromised on multiple occasions and the Delhi Police completely failed to control the surging crowds and maintain a perimeter around Rahul Gandhi.