Jammu: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch to meet the victim families affected by shelling from Pakistan and asserted that everything will go back to normal and advised the students to work hard, play harder and “make lots of friends in school”.
Rahul Gandhi spoke these words to the students, whom he met at the Christ School, which lost two of its students due to the shelling from Pakistan.
Poonch was rhe worst affected areas in Jammu and Kashmir due to indiscriminate shelling from Pakistan during the tensions between the India and Pakistan following India’s response in the form of Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Among the victims of the intense shelling in Poonch town were Urba Fatima and Zain Ali, 12-year-old twins who had moved there only two months ago to be closer to their school.
While interacting with the students, Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Leader of Opposotion in Lok Sabha said that “now, you feel a little bit of danger, a little frightened, but don’t worry, everything will go back to normal…”
“Your way of responding to this should be to study really hard, play really hard and make a lot of friends in school,” he advised the students.
Two students also recalled how friendly both twins were and how they used to play with them and studied with them in their studies.
Rahul Gandhi then walked from the narrow lanes to visit the houses which were damaged in shelling and also interacted with many of the families.
The Leader of Opposition also visited Singh Sabha Gurudwara SGPC Headquarters to meet the bereaved families.
Soon, he stepped out he was stopped by a local man near the gurdwara that he visited and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not even mentioning Poonch and says he trusts him to take up their issues.
He then also visited the family of Vihaan Bhargav and Jamia Zia-Ul-uloom to meet the affected students and family of Maulana Kari Mohammad Iqbal and other affected families.
While speaking to the media, Rahul Gandhi said, “Vahut bari tragedy hai (It’s a huge tragedy). A lot of people have died and there’s widespread damage to property.
“I will raise some of the issues discussed with residents of the town at the national level,” Rahul Gandhi assured.
He then took to X and said, “Today, visited temple, gurdwara and madrassa affected by Pakistani shelling in Poonch. Here people of every religion live together and suffer together. This is Poonch – this is Hindustan, where there is harmony, unity and patriotism.”
“Those who try to divide and break us will never succeed – we will always remain united and respond strongly. Jai Hind,” he added.
This was Rahul Gandhi’s second visit to Jammu and Kashmir after April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.