Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to make a brief stop in Kanpur to meet the grieving family of Shubham Dwivedi, one of the 26 victims of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that occurred on April 22.
According to Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Rai, Gandhi will visit Dwivedi’s family after wrapping up his two-day tour of Raebareli—his current parliamentary constituency—and Amethi, his former stronghold.
During his visit to Raebareli on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi participated in public interactions and unveiled a statue of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose at Civil Lines Chauraha. He arrived in Lucknow earlier that day and then traveled to Raebareli to begin his outreach.
Earlier in the day, both Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addressed a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for a joint session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror incident.
Ajay Rai, who had been present at the funeral of Shubham Dwivedi on April 23, noted Gandhi’s prompt response to the tragedy, pointing out that he had rushed to Kashmir shortly after hearing about the attack to console the families of victims and meet with the injured.
“When it comes to issues of national integrity, the Congress party and its leadership have always placed the nation above all else,” Rai said. “Rahul ji’s visit to Shubham’s family is to express solidarity and offer support in this hour of grief.”
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had also visited the Dwivedi family on April 23. He assured them that strict action would be taken and those responsible for the attack would be immediately brought to justice.
Shubham Dwivedi, a 31-year-old businessman from Kanpur, had been married just two months earlier, on February 12. He was on a family vacation to Kashmir, which began on April 16, accompanied by his wife and nine other relatives. The trip turned tragic when terrorists opened fire in Pahalgam, killing Shubham in front of his wife.
Meanwhile, political tensions continue to simmer in the state. Just before Gandhi arrived in Raebareli, posters criticizing him were put up by local BJP leaders.
One poster in Harchandpur read, “Tum jaativaad se todoge, hum rashtravaad se jodenge. Rahul Gandhi ji hamari Rae Bareli ko jaativaad main mat uljhayiyen” (You will try to divide through casteism; we will unite through nationalism—don’t entangle Rae Bareli in caste politics).
Adding to the controversy, a Congress poster titled “Gayab” (missing), circulated on social media just ahead of Gandhi’s visit, took a swipe at the BJP leadership’s response to the Pahalgam attack, drawing criticism from several BJP leaders.
