Kharge, several Cong MPs stuck in Srinagar, not to attend Prez address

SRINAGAR: Several Congress MPs, including Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, will not be able to attend the President's address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday due to delayed flights from Srinagar on account of inclement weather.

Party leader Jairam Ramesh said several Congress leaders and MPs are in Srinagar for the concluding events of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Monday.

Congress leaders could not attend the meeting of various political parties convened by the government on Monday ahead of the budget session of Parliament.

Senior party MP Naseer Hussain was to attend the meeting but failed to do so as all flights from Srinagar were cancelled due to heavy snowfall.

''Due to delayed flights from Srinagar airport on account of inclement weather conditions, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, @kharge ji & many other Congress MPs will be unable to attend the President's address to both Houses of Parliament at 11am today,'' Ramesh said in a tweet on Tuesday.

The President addresses members of both Houses in the Parliament's Central Hall on the first day of budget session every year. This is President Droupadi Murmu's maiden address to a joint sitting of both Houses.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra ended on Monday with leaders of several parties joining Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he capped his ambitious 136-day journey that covered over 3,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.