Yogesh
Poonch, May 24: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited Poonch district to express solidarity with families affected by the recent cross-border shelling by Pakistan.
Describing the tragedy as “heart-wrenching”, Gandhi vowed to raise the victims’ concerns at the national level.
Gandhi’s visit comes in the wake of intense shelling between May 07 and 10, 2025, which followed India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’. The hostilities between India and Pakistan led to the death of 28 civilians across Jammu and Kashmir, 13 of them in Poonch alone. Over 70 people were injured, and thousands were displaced, many taking shelter in relief camps set up by the government.
Landing in Poonch by helicopter from Jammu airport on Saturday morning, Gandhi spent over an hour visiting shell-hit areas, speaking directly with bereaved families, and witnessing the damage firsthand.
Accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President, Tariq Hameed Karra, senior leader G A Mir and other party leaders, Gandhi conducted door-to-door visits, interacting with residents whose homes were damaged and lives upended.
He visited Christ School, where he met students still grappling with the tragic loss of their classmates, 12-year-old twins Zain Ali and Urwa Fatima, who were killed during the shelling. Offering words of comfort, Rahul urged the children to stay strong, study hard and maintain hope.
“Now, you have seen danger and a little bit of a frightening situation,” Gandhi told the students. “But don’t worry, everything will come back to normal. Your response should be to study and play hard and build strong friendships.”
Speaking to reporters, the LoP described the situation as a “big tragedy”, saying, “Many people have lost their lives. Civilian targets were directly hit. I have spoken to the affected families, their pain is unimaginable. They have asked me to take their voice to the national platform, and I will do so.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi wrote, “Today I met the families of those who lost their lives in shelling by Pakistani troops in Poonch. Damaged houses, scattered belongings, moist eyes and painful stories of losing loved ones — these patriotic families bear the biggest burden of war with courage and dignity every time. Salute to their courage.”
He added, “I stand strongly with the victim families — I will definitely raise their demands and issues at the national level.”
During his visit, the Congress leader inspected a Gurudwara (Shri Guru Singh Sabha), a temple, a madrassa and a Christian missionary school, all of which sustained damage during the shelling. His outreach was seen as a gesture of empathy and inclusiveness, covering diverse communities affected by the violence.
Tariq Karra, on the occasion, said Rahul Gandhi is the first national leader to physically visit the affected families in Poonch. “The primary purpose of the visit was to share the pain of those who have lost their loved ones and to witness the scale of destruction,” he said. “This is a visit of solidarity, not politics.”
This is Gandhi’s second visit to Jammu and Kashmir in a month. Earlier, on April 25, he visited Srinagar to meet those injured in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has announced an ex gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for the next of kin of those killed in the shelling.
