Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Saturday to meet with the victims and families affected by the recent cross-border shelling carried out by Pakistani forces.
His visit comes in the wake of escalating tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) and follows a series of tragic incidents that have left dozens dead and many more injured.
This marks Gandhi’s second visit to the Union Territory since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, most of them tourists.
He had earlier traveled to Srinagar on April 25 to meet survivors of the attack and had also held discussions with the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Minister, and several key stakeholders to assess the situation.
On Saturday morning, Gandhi landed at Jammu airport and proceeded to Poonch by helicopter.
His primary purpose was to meet with the families who lost loved ones and visit locations that were heavily impacted by the intense artillery and mortar shelling that occurred earlier this month.
The cross-border hostilities intensified following India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, which was launched on May 7. The operation targeted nine terror hubs located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam.
In the days that followed, between May 7 and 10, Pakistani forces launched multiple waves of artillery, missile, and drone attacks across Jammu and Kashmir, killing 28 people—including 13 in Poonch—and injuring more than 70 others.
The scale of the assault forced thousands of residents to abandon their homes near the LoC and International Border, seeking safety in government-run relief camps set up across the region.
The escalation finally subsided on May 10, when India and Pakistan reached a mutual understanding to de-escalate military confrontation and halt further strikes.
Speaking on the significance of Gandhi’s visit, Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra stated, “Rahul Gandhi is the first national leader to personally visit the affected areas and extend his condolences and support to the people.
He will be visiting several structures that were damaged in the shelling, including a gurdwara, a temple, a madrassa, and a Christian missionary school.”
Gandhi is also scheduled to meet members of civil society and the families of those who were killed or injured during the recent attacks.
His outreach is being seen as a gesture of solidarity at a time when the people of Jammu and Kashmir are reeling from both terror attacks and the fallout of cross-border military operations.
During his last visit in April, following the Pahalgam massacre, Gandhi had emphasized the need for unity in the face of terror.
He stated that such attacks are orchestrated to divide the Indian population along religious and regional lines, and stressed the importance of national unity to defeat terrorism in all its forms.
Gandhi’s ongoing engagement with the people of Jammu and Kashmir reflects the opposition leader’s broader message: that compassion, unity, and direct dialogue with citizens are essential in times of national crisis.
