Rahul Gandhi Visits Poonch; Offers Support To Shelling Victims

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday visited the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, expressing solidarity with families affected by recent cross-border shelling.

During his visit, he offered condolences to the victims and encouraged students to remain resilient in the face of adversity.

Emotional Interaction With Grieving Families

Rahul Gandhi met residents whose homes Pakistani troops damaged during intense shelling between 8 and 10 May.

Among them were the grieving parents of 12-year-old twins, Zoya and Zain, who lost their lives in the attack.

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“I came here to stand by the victims of Pakistani aggression and to highlight the human cost of such hostilities,” Gandhi told reporters during his visit.

He assured the affected families that their plight would be raised at the national level and that all necessary support would be extended.

Encouragement To Local Students

In addition to meeting with families, Rahul Gandhi visited the Christian Missionary School, where he held a heartfelt interaction with students.

Urging them to stay focused and positive, he said: “You’ve seen a little bit of danger, but don’t worry, everything will be back to normal. Your way of responding to this problem should be that you study hard, play really hard, and make a lot of friends in school. Will you do that?”

His message aimed to inspire resilience and hope among the youth affected by the unrest.

A Call For National Attention

While addressing the media, Rahul Gandhi noted that local residents had urged him to bring their situation to the attention of the wider nation.

“The losses here are immense,” he said, underlining the urgent need for relief and reconstruction efforts in the region.

This visit marks Rahul Gandhi’s second trip to Jammu and Kashmir since the 22 April terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, including 25 tourists and one local resident.

On 25 April, he visited Srinagar to meet with those injured in that attack and held discussions with local leaders, including Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Broad Outreach And Religious Solidarity

Accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Congress President Tariq Hameed Karra, Rahul Gandhi also visited several damaged religious and educational institutions, including a gurdwara, a temple, a madrassa, and the Christian Missionary School.

“He is the first national leader to reach out to the affected population to express his solidarity and share their pain,” said Karra.

Rahul Gandhi concluded his visit with a hopeful message for the people of Poonch.

While acknowledging the gravity of their loss, he expressed confidence that the region would recover and that normalcy would return soon.

With his visit, the Opposition leader sought not only to offer comfort but also to draw national attention to the continuing impact of cross-border hostilities on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir.