The Amarnath Yatra was suspended from Jammu on Saturday as authorities took precautionary measures following an adverse weather forecast and the possibility of heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the Jammu division.

No fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to leave the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for the Kashmir Valley on Saturday. Officials said the situation would be reviewed depending on weather conditions.

Weather forecast prompts precautionary halt

The decision came after the Meteorological Department forecast heavy rain in the region. Authorities are also closely monitoring the condition of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which is the route used by pilgrims travelling from Jammu towards the yatra’s base camps.

Officials said the movement of pilgrims would depend on weather conditions and the status of the highway.

More than 4.75 lakh pilgrims had visited the holy cave shrine for darshan till Friday. The number of pilgrims arriving in Jammu for the pilgrimage has also declined.

Yatra continues from Baltal route

The annual Amarnath Yatra began on July 3 and is scheduled to conclude on August 28, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

At present, pilgrims are undertaking the yatra from the Baltal base camp in north Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The route from the Nunwan base camp in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam is currently unavailable because track maintenance work is underway.

The latest suspension follows an earlier one-day halt on Thursday due to security arrangements on the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.

On Thursday, a fresh batch of 1,801 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu for Baltal. The group included men, women, sadhus and sadhvis and travelled in 74 vehicles under security arrangements.

More than 4.71 lakh pilgrims had darshan

Since the start of this year’s pilgrimage, more than 4.71 lakh pilgrims had already visited the holy cave shrine, according to officials.

The Amarnath cave is located at an altitude of around 3,880 metres in the Kashmir Himalayas. The shrine houses an ice stalagmite formation that changes in size with the phases of the moon and is revered by devotees as a symbol associated with Lord Shiva.

The Tamil Nadu government will bring a resolution in the state Assembly to formally oppose any move to begin a delimitation exercise in the state, following an all-party meeting of MPs with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.

The leaders who attended the meeting agreed to oppose any delimitation exercise and backed continuation of the existing status quo. They said Tamil Nadu could not afford a change in the number of seats for elected representatives for at least 40-50 years.

Congress MP Jothimani said her party would not support delimitation and described the meeting convened by Chief Minister Vijay as a positive step towards protecting the interests and rights of Tamil Nadu.

Ruling alliance seeks seat status quo

A total of 19 MPs from the ruling TVK alliance and friendly parties attended the meeting. They included MPs from the Congress, VCK, MDMK, IUML, CPI and CPI(M).

The meeting discussed the need to maintain the existing number of seats. The ruling alliance is expected to push for a permanent freeze on the number of seats at 543 in the Lok Sabha and 39 in Tamil Nadu.

One of the suggestions made during the meeting was for the Tamil Nadu Assembly to pass a resolution opposing any delimitation exercise.

The Congress also raised questions about why Tamil Nadu was opposing an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats and sought clarity on the details and implications of any proposed legislation.

Vijay spoke towards the end of the meeting for around six minutes. The participating leaders had earlier put forward their views on the issue.

DMK boycotts all-party meeting

The opposition DMK chose not to participate in the consultation. Its Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi questioned the government’s priorities and challenged Vijay to take action against Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project.

Vijay is learnt to have expressed disappointment over the DMK’s absence. He said it was unfortunate that a party that had governed Tamil Nadu for six terms and whose founding leaders had made sacrifices for the state’s interests did not attend the meeting.

Kanimozhi also asked whether Vijay was prepared to send representatives of the Tamil Nadu government along with MPs from the state to meet the Union Jal Shakti Minister and personally submit the Assembly resolution opposing the Mekedatu project.

No Delimitation Bill announced yet

The Union government has so far neither announced plans to introduce a Delimitation Bill during the current Parliament session nor communicated any proposal to amend the existing law.

Kanimozhi said the DMK remained opposed to any delimitation exercise that could reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation in Parliament or adversely affect the state’s rights.

She also said the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML had participated in previous all-party meetings and opposed any delimitation formula that they considered detrimental to Tamil Nadu.

The latest meeting has therefore set the stage for Tamil Nadu to formally register its objection through an Assembly resolution, while the ruling alliance seeks to maintain the existing seat arrangement.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday took a swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his recent message on women’s freedom and empowerment, linking the Congress leader’s remarks to the long-pending debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Rahul Gandhi, in a video posted on Instagram on Friday, spoke about the need to bring women “back into the conversation” and allow them to pursue what they want.

Responding to the video, Kiren Rijiju described the message as positive but suggested that it reflected a “change of heart” within the Congress.

Kiren Rijiju links Rahul Gandhi’s message to women’s quota

“Now, I hope Congress Party will support the Women’s Reservation Bill unconditionally,” Rijiju posted on X while reacting to Gandhi’s video.

Rijiju said Gandhi’s remarks appeared to represent a change in the Congress leader’s position on women.

“This seems to be a positive message from the Congress Party. There’s a visible change of heart in Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji about the Women,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said in his post.

He then used the opportunity to raise the issue of the Women’s Reservation Bill and urged the Congress to support it without conditions.

Congress, Centre differ over delimitation and women’s quota

The exchange comes against the backdrop of differences between the Congress and the Centre over the proposed delimitation exercise and its connection with the implementation of women’s reservation.

Congress and other opposition parties have been opposing the government’s proposed delimitation legislation and have called for the 33 per cent reservation for women to be implemented based on the current strength of Parliament.

The government has been seeking to increase the number of seats in Parliament and state Assemblies as part of the process for implementing the women’s quota. The 33 per cent reservation for women had earlier been passed unanimously by Parliament.

What Rahul Gandhi said about women’s freedom

Rahul Gandhi’s Friday Instagram video followed his response during a Thursday “Ask Me Anything” session, in which he was asked about young women fighting for their right to study.

Gandhi had said that “India’s women are our strength, our biggest asset” and expressed dissatisfaction with the way women are treated in the country, including in education and corporate systems.

In his subsequent video, Gandhi said the energy of Indian women was being restricted and that they were not always allowed to express themselves or imagine freely.

He argued that India could not fully succeed without women being able to express themselves.

Gandhi said women’s empowerment should not be limited to succeeding in business or politics. According to him, women should also be able to express their views at home and move freely on the streets.

He further spoke about women being able to question their parents, husbands, brothers and others, arguing that greater freedom from patriarchy and rigid control was necessary for India’s development.

The remarks subsequently drew Rijiju’s response, with the minister connecting Gandhi’s message on women’s empowerment to the political debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.