Sonia Gandhi to attend Prez address as Kharge, other Cong MPs stuck in Srinagar

PTI, Jan 31, 2023, 10:29 AM IST

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi will attend the President’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday as party MPs, including Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, are stuck in Srinagar due to delayed flights.

Sources said the CPP chairperson will represent the Congress party during President Droupadi Murmu’s first address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.

Several Congress MPs, including Kharge, will not be able to attend the President’s address due to delayed flights from Srinagar on account of inclement weather, party leader Jairam Ramesh said.

The Congress leaders and MPs are in Srinagar for the concluding events of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Monday.

They could not attend the meeting of various political parties convened by the government on Monday ahead of the budget session of Parliament.

Senior party MP Naseer Hussain was to attend the meeting but failed to do so as all flights from Srinagar were cancelled due to heavy snowfall.

”Due to delayed flights from Srinagar airport on account of inclement weather conditions, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, @kharge ji & many other Congress MPs will be unable to attend the President’s address to both Houses of Parliament at 11 am today,” Ramesh said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Hussain, who is the Whip CPP in Rajya Sabha, said, due to weather conditions, Kharge, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdary and several Congress MPs are stranded at Srinagar airport and it may not be possible for them to attend the President’s address at 11 am.

The President addresses members of both Houses in the Parliament’s Central Hall on the first day of budget session every year.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra ended on Monday with leaders of several parties joining Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he capped his ambitious 136-day journey that covered over 3,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.