In a luxury hotel atop a hillock overlooking Srinagar’s Dal Lake, the enthusiasm was evident, and the hall packed ahead of schedule. It was the 13th and final press conference of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, before the march came to an end after travelling over 135 days from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Dozens of journalists had flown into Srinagar for the event, but they were ostensibly disappointed.
Moments after Rahul Gandhi showed up on stage, senior Congress leader and parliamentarian Jairam Ramesh announced that local journalists – a list of whom he had compiled – would be given preference.
