Rahul Gandhi reaches J&K's Poonch to meet families affected by Pakistani shelling
Jammu: Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday reached J&K's Poonch district to meet the victims of the cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops during recent hostilities between the two countries.
J&K Congress president, Tariq Hameed Karra, told reporters that Rahul Gandhi will visit shell-hit structures, including a gurdwara, a temple, a madrassa and a Christian missionary school.
'He will also meet the bereaved families and the members of the civil society. He is the first national leader to reach out to the affected population to express his solidarity and share their pain,' Karra said.
Saturday's is the second visit by the Congress leader to J&K since the dastardly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, including 25 tourists and a local.
He visited Srinagar on April 25 to meet those injured in the Pahalgam terror attack. He had also met the J&K Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and several stakeholders during that visit.
During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir last month, following the Pahalgam terror attack, LoP Rahul Gandhi had said that the idea behind the terror strike was to divide the people of the country, and India needed to stand united to defeat terrorism once and for all.
On Saturday morning, LoP Rahul Gandhi reached Jammu airport and left for Poonch in a helicopter to visit the areas affected by cross-border shelling and meet the affected families.
The Poonch sector witnessed the worst artillery shelling after India carried out precision-guided strikes during 'Operation Sindoor' on nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on May 7 in response to the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack.
Heavy artillery shelling on civilian facilities by Pakistan killed 28 people, 13 in Poonch district and injured more than 70 others between May 7 and May 10 across Jammu and Kashmir.
Thousands of border residents had to abandon their homes in areas near the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) to seek refuge in safer areas identified by the government.
DGMOs of India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire on May 12. India, however, made it clear that while trade and the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan will remain in abeyance, the ceasefire understanding will only be respected as long as Pakistan does not allow any terror activity on its soil against India.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Amid din over Bengaluru stampede, Congress orders new Karnataka caste survey
NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: Congress decided Tuesday to undertake a fresh caste survey in Karnataka, citing rumblings within the state's dominant communities about the reliability of the 2015 enumeration data, and asking CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar to target a 60- to 80-day timeframe for the exercise. Sources said the immediate incentive for the Congress brass to push the exercise was to deliver something that would potentially take the heat off the Siddaramaiah govt amid an accountability crisis in the aftermath of the June 4 Bengaluru stampede in which 11 cricket fans died. Also read: Congress top brass raps state unit for Bengaluru stampede "The party agrees in principle with the state govt on addressing the concerns of some communities that have reservations about caste data, which is a decade old and outdated. Hence, the party suggested re-enumeration within a stipulated time," AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said. The decision effectively means that the Kantharaj Commission's 2015 report goes into deep freeze, although Venugopal said it would be "discussed" at a cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday. Siddaramaiah said the proposed re-enumeration would mimic the ongoing survey of Scheduled Castes in the state and would likely be completed within three months. Leaked data from the Kantharaj Commission's report suggest Siddaramaiah's core vote bank of Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) has grown exponentially, compared to the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. Congress insiders suggested that CM's reluctance, if any, to accept the decision to conduct a fresh caste survey would be balanced by the prospect of the stampede backlash getting "lost in the new noise". Deputy CM Shivakumar said the decision was meant to enable everyone to resubmit information during house-to-house surveys and through online submissions. "Since this process would be an extensive one, we will decide the strategy at the next cabinet meeting. CM will then announce the timeline."
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Proud of how MPs advocated India's voice, says PM Modi
NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday commended the seven multi-party delegations for effectively representing India's stance in global capitals following Operation Sindoor , a decisive strike against terrorist hubs in Pakistan and PoK. "Met members of various delegations who represented India in different countries and elaborated on India's commitment to peace and the need to eradicate the menace of terrorism. We're all proud of the manner in which they put forward India's voice," PM said on X. Over 50 representatives from the delegations, who visited 33 foreign capitals and the EU, called on Modi to share their experiences. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the PM was "very pleasant" to the delegation members, seeing it as an opportunity to thank them. "He walked around the lawn to different tables, talking to different groups of people... It was a good, lively, informal meeting," Tharoor said, adding that MPs shared insights and suggested such visits be made a regular practice, which the PM seemed to support. The delegations - comprising current and former MPs and ex-diplomats - conveyed India's firm stand against Pakistan-linked terrorism and its commitment to global peace. EAM S Jaishankar had earlier praised the delegations for highlighting India's position.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
NMC polls set in motion as Maha orders redrawing of ward boundaries
Nagpur: After a three-year delay, Maharashtra govt on Monday issued a formal order initiating the ward formation process for elections to Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). The order, issued by the urban development department, empowers the NMC commissioner to begin redrawing ward boundaries based on the 2011 census, adhering to population norms and social factors. This development follows Supreme Court's May 6 directive, instructing completion of the electoral process to local self-govt bodies within four months. With Tuesday's order, the govt set the stage for resuming democratic processes in major civic bodies, including Nagpur, which was under administrative rule after the previous general body was dissolved. In its last term, NMC had 151 corporators representing 38 prabhags (wards), with most electing four members each, except for one prabhag, which elected three. BJP held an overwhelming majority with 108 corporators, followed by Congress (29), BSP (10), Shiv Sena (2), NCP (1), and an independent. Also, five members were nominated. The last general body was dissolved in March 2022, since then NMC is being ruled by an administrator. BJP ruled the civic body for three consecutive terms. As per the order, all A, B, and C class municipal corporations must now begin the ward formation process under the multi-member ward system. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo As Nagpur city falls under category A, the Nagpur civic commissioner must draw the new ward boundaries in consultation with the State Election Commission, factoring in geographical continuity, SC/ST representation, access to civic amenities, and avoiding disruption of settlements. The process will involve multiple stages, including public hearings on objections and suggestions, with the final ward maps to be published only after approval by the Election Commission. Each ward will preferably elect four corporators, though three or five-member wards are allowed in exceptional cases. Ward boundaries must follow natural dividers like roads or rivers and be drawn on Google Earth with supporting population data from census block maps. Officials have been instructed to avoid mistakes of previous elections, which were marred by legal disputes over faulty demarcations. While the exact number of corporators and wards will be finalised later, this govt order marks a crucial first step towards restoring elected representation in Nagpur. The move is expected to galvanise political parties, especially BJP and Congress, ahead of the high-stakes municipal polls. Though no order has yet been issued for zilla parishad elections, the urban development department has released a separate directive to initiate the election process to municipal councils and nagar panchayats across Maharashtra. In Nagpur district, this will cover elections to 14 municipal councils — Butibori, Kalmeshwar, Kamptee, Kanhan Pipari, Katol, Khapa, Mohpa, Mowad, Narkhed, Ramtek, Saoner, Umred, Wadi, and Wanadongari. Additionally, polls will be held for eight nagar panchayats — Bhiwapur, Hingna, Kuhi, Mahadula, Mouda, Parseoni, Godhani, and Besa-Pipla. This order signals a broader resumption of democratic processes at the grassroots across both urban and semi-urban local bodies.
