Rahul Gandhi to Visit Poonch on May 24 to Meet Families Impacted by Cross-Border Shelling
New Delhi, May 22: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is expected to visit the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on May 24 to express solidarity with the families affected by recent cross-border shelling from Pakistan, party sources confirmed on Wednesday.
This will mark Gandhi’s second visit to Jammu and Kashmir in just over a month. His earlier visit on April 22 followed the devastating terror attack in Pahalgam, in which 25 tourists and one local resident were killed.
During his forthcoming visit, Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to meet with the families who lost loved ones and those who have been displaced or injured due to the intense shelling by Pakistani forces. His outreach aims to offer both moral support and political attention to the crisis unfolding in the border region.
The recent escalation along the Line of Control (LoC) was triggered after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 — a series of precision strikes targeting nine terror infrastructure hubs across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These included key facilities operated by proscribed terrorist organizations such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (based in Bahawalpur) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (based in Muridke).
In retaliation, Pakistan initiated heavy artillery shelling, drone attacks, and missile strikes in the Jammu region, particularly targeting civilian areas in Poonch between May 8 and May 10. The shelling resulted in the tragic loss of 27 civilian lives and left over 70 others injured, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes and seek shelter in government-run relief camps.
Rahul Gandhi, known for his emphasis on national unity in the face of terrorism, had earlier stated during his visit to Pahalgam that terror attacks were designed to create division among Indians, and that unity and resilience were key to defeating such threats.
Following days of military exchange, both India and Pakistan reached an informal understanding on May 10 to de-escalate the confrontation. However, the aftermath has left many civilian families devastated and in urgent need of relief, prompting Gandhi’s visit to Poonch.
Congress officials said that Gandhi’s visit is aimed at drawing national attention to the plight of civilians living along the border and to press for a robust policy response, including rehabilitation and enhanced security for these vulnerable populations.
