POONCH (J&K), May 24 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday reached out to grieving schoolchildren in Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, following the recent cross-border shelling that claimed the lives of 12-year-old twins Zain Ali and Urwa Fatima. The two were among 13 civilians killed in the district during the India-Pakistan military standoff earlier this month.
Interacting with students of Christ School—where the deceased children studied—Gandhi offered words of encouragement: “Don’t worry, everything will come 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.”
His brief but impactful visit brought cheer to the emotionally-scarred students, who responded with claps and warm gestures. “Big hug to all of you. Love you and thank you,” said the former Congress president, who also shook hands with several students before departing.
During his hour-long tour of Poonch, Gandhi met families of the deceased, inspected damage to homes and religious sites including the Singh Sabha Gurdwara, and assured locals of his support. He was accompanied by senior Congress leaders including AICC General Secretary Syed Naseer Hussain, G A Mir, J&K Congress chief Tariq Hameed Karra, and others.
Gandhi paused to hear a local resident who managed to approach him, expressing faith in the Congress leader to represent Poonch’s plight at the national level. “PM Modi did not even mention Poonch after Operation Sindoor, but we trust you will raise our voice,” the man told him.
In a poignant moment, a young girl whose house was badly damaged in the shelling told Gandhi about the harrowing experience she and her four sisters survived, recalling the loss of their father 16 years ago and the shell hitting their home.
Residents also urged Gandhi to push for increased compensation for those who suffered property damage.
This marked Gandhi’s second visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. He had earlier visited Srinagar on April 25 to meet the injured and held meetings with top officials and stakeholders.
Arriving at Jammu airport Saturday morning, Gandhi took a helicopter to Poonch to assess the shelling-affected areas and express solidarity with the local population.
