STATE TIMES NEWS
POONCH: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met the victims of cross-border shelling by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch and described the damage caused as a “big tragedy”, pledging to highlight their plight at the national level.
The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha visited Poonch town and interacted with the affected population, including the families who lost their members in the shelling between May 7 and May 10, for over an hour.
“It is a big tragedy. Many people lost their lives. They (Pakistan army) have hit civilian targets directly. I talked to the people and tried to understand their problems and they have asked me to raise their issues at the national level, which I will do,” Gandhi told reporters.
Later, in a post on X, he said, “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.”
“I stand strongly with the victim families — I will definitely raise their demands and issues at the national level,” he added.
Gandhi was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Jal Shakti Minister Javed Ahmed Rana; senior Congress leaders including AICC general secretary in-charge of the party’s Jammu and Kashmir affairs Syed Naseer Hussain, AICC General Secretary G A Mir and J&K unit chief Tariq Hameed Karra; and former ministers Vikar Rasool Wani and Lal Singh.
This was Gandhi’s second visit to the Union territory since the dastardly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
On Saturday morning, the former Congress chief reached the Jammu airport and left for Poonch in a helicopter to assess the ground situation. He visited several homes that were damaged during the shelling, interacted with the victims and expressed solidarity with them.
He also visited Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Jamia Zia Ul Uloom, Sanatan Dharam Sabha and Christ High School.
The Poonch sector witnessed heavy artillery and mortar shelling after India carried out precision strikes under Operation Sindoor on nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam massacre.
A wave of artillery shelling, missiles and drone strikes by Pakistan killed 28 people, 13 in Poonch district alone, and injured more than 70 across Jammu and Kashmir between May 7 and 10.
Thousands moved hearth and home from areas near the Line of Control and the International Border to seek refuge in government-run relief camps.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the military confrontation after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, Jal Shakti Minister Rana said the locals have suffered immense pain and loss, and “we need to join hands and make a real difference in their lives”.
“Our government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is committed to reach all those households that have suffered losses. We are duty-bound to provide relief to them to help them rebuild their lives,” the minister said.
The government has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 10 lakh for the families of those killed in the shelling by Pakistan.
Gandhi and Rana assessed the extent of damage caused by the shelling and assured the people of prioritising restoration work.
They emphasised the need for immediate action to address the humanitarian needs of those affected by the shelling, an official said.
Earlier, Rana conducted an extensive tour of the border areas and instructed officers to engage closely with the victim families and extend all possible support to them.
He directed that compensation to the affected people should be processed expeditiously, ensuring that they receive the necessary assistance to rebuild their lives.
Earlier in the day, J&K Congress chief Karra said, “Gandhi is the first national leader to reach out to the affected population to express his solidarity and share their pain.
During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir last month, Gandhi said the idea behind the terror strike was to divide the people of the country and it was imperative that India stands united to defeat terrorism once and for all.