Rahul Gandhi interacts with the students affected by Pakistan shelling, during his visit to a school, in Poonch district of J&K on May 24, 2025. (PTI)
Rajouri: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will sponsor the education of 22 children who lost one or both parents in Pakistani shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir during Operation Sindoor, according to Pradesh Congress Committee president Tariq Hameed Karra.
Speaking to reporters during his three-day tour of the region, Karra said the initiative follows Gandhi’s visit to Poonch in the aftermath of the deadly shelling between May 7 and 10. During his visit, Gandhi met bereaved families and directed party leaders to compile a list of school-going children who had lost their parents, particularly breadwinners, so that their education could be supported.
“A lot of civilian casualties and property damage occurred in Poonch and Rajouri districts during the Pakistani shelling. Rahul Gandhi asked us to identify children who lost one or both parents, and we submitted a list of 22 such children from Poonch alone,” Karra said.
He added that the number may rise as more affected families are identified during the ongoing tour. Karra is expected to visit Poonch on Tuesday to personally hand over the financial assistance sent by Rahul Gandhi to the children’s families to support their continued education.
“This initiative is a gesture of solidarity and compassion to ensure that these children’s education is not disrupted due to tragedy,” Karra stated.
The shelling, which resulted in 28 civilian deaths across Jammu and Kashmir, including 13 in Poonch alone, occurred in retaliation for Indian missile strikes on terror infrastructure across the border. The strikes were part of Operation Sindoor, launched following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
Karra also addressed reports of tensions within the INDIA bloc, rejecting any speculation of discord with alliance partner National Conference. However, he noted that the Congress has been awaiting the formation of a coordination committee with the ruling party for the past nine months.
With PTI inputs