Jammu, May 29 (KNO): Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the immediate creation of a comprehensive rehabilitation package for residents of Poonch and other border areas in Jammu and Kashmir affected by recent cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops.
In his letter, dated May 29, accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Gandhi highlighted the severe impact of the shelling that took place between May 7 and 10, following India’s Operation Sindoor.
The unprovoked attacks resulted in 28 deaths, including 14 in Poonch district, injured over 70 people, and caused widespread destruction of homes, religious sites, and livelihoods. Thousands were forced to flee their villages near the Line of Control (LoC) and seek refuge in government relief camps.
During his visit to Poonch on May 24, Gandhi met with affected families, toured damaged sites, including Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha, Geeta Bhawan temple, Madrassa Zia-ul-Uloom and Christ High School, and interacted with students who lost classmates in the shelling.
He described the situation as a “huge tragedy” and praised the resilience of Poonch’s residents, saying, “Poonch embodies the harmony, unity, and patriotism of Hindustan.”—(KNO)