Within minutes after the unfurling of the national flag at historic Lal Chowk, the Jammu and Kashmir Congress from its official Twitter handle shared two pictures. In one picture first Prime Minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was unfurling the national flag at the historic Lal Chowk of Srinagar and in the second picture Rahul Gandhi was unfurling the Tricolour at the same venue. "History is repeating itself", Congress tweeted in Hindi.

It was in 1948 first Prime Minister of the country Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru had unfurled the national flag in Lal Chowk. 

National flag at Lal Chowk
Congress office

"In 1948 when PM Nehru first unfurled Tiranga in Kashmir amongst a sea of people, it was a momentous occasion marked by celebrations. People of J&K had successfully fought off invaders by pushing them back and thus began a new relationship with India based on mutual trust and respect," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti tweeted.

Congress changes the itinerary to unfurl the national flag at Lal Chowk

Changing the itinerary of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party leaders from Jammu and Kashmir unfurled the national flag at historic Lal Chowk of Srinagar.

Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders unfurled the national flag amid unprecedented security at the historic clock tower of Lal Chowk here as part of the "Bharat Jodo Yatra".

Rahul hoists Tricolour at Srinagar's Lal Chowk
Rahul hoists Tricolour at Srinagar's Lal ChowkIANS

Taking a 30-minute break from the Kanyakumari to Kashmir foot march at Sonawar, Rahul Gandhi drove to the Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters on Maulana Azad Road before heading to the clock tower, locally known as 'Ghanta Ghar', to unfurl the tricolour.

There were unprecedented security measures when Congress leaders were hoisting the national flag at Lal Chowk. All roads leading to Lal Chowk had been sealed off from Saturday night and no vehicular movement was allowed.

Shops, business establishments, and the weekly flea market were closed as part of the security drill for the flag unfurling by the former Congress president.

"Promise made to India fulfilled today", says Rahul after hoisting the Tricolour at Lal Chowk.
After unfurling the Tricolour at Srinagar's Lal Chowk, Rahul Gandhi said Sunday that a promise made to India was fulfilled today. In a tweet in Hindi, Gandhi said, "Hate will lose, love will always win There will be a new dawn of hopes in India".

After unfurling the national flag, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that permission to unfurl the tricolour at Srinagar's Lal Chowk on Sunday was given by the J&K administration.
Congress had earlier planned to hoist the national flag at the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) office on Monday to mark the conclusion of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Union Territory.

Earlier Cong termed unfurling the national flag at Lal Chowk as the "RSS agenda"

On the very first day when the Bharat Jodo Yatra entered Jammu and Kashmir on January 19, Congress announced that Rahul Gandhi would hoist the Tricolour at its state headquarters in Srinagar on January 30 and not the Lal Chowk as unfurling it at the square was part of "the RSS agenda".

AICC in-charge of J&K and Rajya Sabha Rajni Patil said that Rahul Gandhi will not hoist India's national flag at Lal Chowk. She said that the party believes that the unfurling Tricolor at the Lal Chowk in Kashmir is part of 'the RSS agenda'. Instead, Gandhi will hoist the national flag at party headquarters in Srinagar on January 30, Patil said.

"We do not believe in the agenda of the RSS to hoist the Tricolour at Lal Chowk, where it has already flown high," Patil said when asked about Rahul Gandhi's plan to unfurl the national flag at the end of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on January 30.

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