Nitin Gadkari, Sonia Gandhi to visit Srinagar

Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are scheduled to visit Srinagar on Sunday to offer condolences to the family of late chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that Gadkari will call on Mehbooba Mufti at the late chief minister's 'Fairview' residence on the Gupkar Road on Sunday.

"Gadkariji will also meet state party leaders to discuss the formation of new government in the state," BJP state spokesperson Khalid Jahangir told IANS.

A statement issued by the Congress party said Sonia Gandhi will visit Srinagar in the afternoon to offer her condolences to Mehbooba Mufti.

"Sonia Gandhi will fly back to New Delhi today (Sunday) itself. She will visit Gupkar Road residence of the late chief minister in the afternoon to offer condolences to Mehbooba Mufti," a Congress party functionary said.

The fourth day congregational prayers of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed will be offered on Sunday.

The first congregational prayer meeting will be held at 11 a.m. at the grave of the deceased in Dara Shikoh Park in Bijbehara town of Anantnag district.

At 1:30 p.m. another congregational prayer meeting will be held at the Gupkar Road residence of the Muftis in Srinagar.

After battling for his life for 14 days, Sayeed passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on January 7.

Following refusal of Mehbooba Mufti to be sworn in as the new chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Governor's Rule was imposed in the state.

"After reaching concurrence from the president of India, Governor N.N. Vohra issued a notification today to impose Governor's Rule in the state," a Raj Bhavan spokesman said on Saturday.

The Governor's Rule has been imposed retrospectively with effect from January 8.

Last time the state was brought under the Governor's Rule was on December 23, 2014, after the state assembly election results threw up a hung verdict.