Srinagar, May 23: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to undertake a day-long visit to Poonch tomorrow (May 24) to meet the families of those killed and injured in the recent shelling by Pakistan.
JKPCC chief while speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that the visit aims to express solidarity with the grief-stricken families and inspect the extent of property damage in the affected areas.
Karra said the visit was focused exclusively on Poonch, which has borne the brunt of the shelling, resulting in the loss of around 15 innocent civilian lives and significant damage to homes and infrastructure.
“The primary purpose is to share the pain of those who have lost their loved ones and visit the damaged establishments. This is a visit of empathy and solidarity,” Karra said.
Karra also flagged issues faced by border residents, including inadequate bunkers and insufficient medical facilities. “After a detailed tour of Poonch and Rajouri, I addressed a press conference in Jammu highlighting these issues. Many of the bunkers constructed in the previous administration lack structural integrity and are unfit for use, some without even a proper top cover,” he said.
Earlier, Member of Parliament and senior Congress leader, Jairam Ramesh in a post on X, as per KNO, confirmed the visit of Rahul Gandhi to Poonch on May 24 to express solidarity with the bereaved families.
“The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Shri RahulGandhi, will visit Poonch tomorrow, i.e., 24 May, where he will meet the grieving families of those killed in recent Pakistani shelling,” Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
Ramesh in the post added, “Earlier, on 25 April, he visited Srinagar, where he met people injured in the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam and other related parties. He also met the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister.”
Pertinently, nearly 20 innocent people were killed while several houses were also destroyed in the border areas due to the shelling by Pakistan after the successful conduct of ‘Operation Sindoor’, which was launched by the Indian armed forces to avenge the killing of 26 innocent civilians in Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025—(KNO)
