Rahul to arrive in Kashmir, Tata, K M Birla to be present

The AICC general secretary is also due to have a meeting with Panchayat members in the Valley on Friday against the backdrop of his call for increasing security of Panchs and Sarpanchs following threats from militants. A sarpanch delegation from the Valley had met Rahul in Delhi last week.

The business delegation is arriving at the invitation of Rahul for an interaction with students of Kashmir university in Srinagar on October five, official sources said today.

For the first time, a business dimension has been lent to Rahul's visit during which he is expected to allay corporate concerns about investing in the border state.

Besides the Chairman of the Tata group and the Aditya Birla group, HDFC chairman Deepak Parikh, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto Rajeev Bajaj and Chairman and Managing Director of WIPRO Aziz Premji will be present during Rahul's visit.

42-year-old Rahul had struck an emotional chord with the students of the Kashmir university in September last year when he had said that he was "a Kashmiri" and "the pain and the suffering of this place is my suffering as well".

He had promised to send a delegation of businessmen after several students spoke about the lack of job facilities and also virtual absence of multinationals in the Valley.

Chief Ministers Sheila Dikshit (Delhi) and Tarun Gogoi (Assam) are also likely to be present at the interaction, officials said.

Rahul begins his tour tomorrow from Ladakh region by holding public rallies in Leh and Kargil town.(MORE)