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A futile wait

By Our Staff Reporter

Reasi May 3. Over 30,000 people from across Jammu and Kashmir had to return without hearing the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi.

They had gathered in the remote hilly tehsil of Jammu region since early morning to listen to her. Ms. Gandhi was to address a rally at Reasi in the foothills of the Vaishnodevi shrine.

Huge crowds started to gather since morning and thousands poured in as the day progressed. Security was tight as Reasi is said to be a militants-infested area and intelligence reports had suggested "attempts" to sabotage the rally. Officials had a tough time as people in their thousands thronged the parade grounds.

Due to the dusty weather prevailing in the north, especially in Jammu, indications had come that Ms. Gandhi's visit would be cancelled as her plane would not be able to land in Jammu. But there was glimmer of hope now and then.

At one stage, Congress workers started waving to the crowd when a chopper of the Deputy Chief Minister hovered over the ground as they thought Ms. Gandhi had finally arrived.

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