The Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has sponsored the education of 22 children from Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district. According to the announcement, all 22 children belong to families affected by cross-border shelling.
During the recent border confrontations between India and Pakistan, at least 13 people lost their lives in cross-border shelling from Pakistan after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7.
Poonch, being close to Pakistan on the LoC, was among the worst-hit regions during the four days of confrontations between the two countries.
Senior Congress leader Tariq Hamid Karra said, “Rahul Ji, during his visit, had promised to personally do something for these children. He has now fulfilled that promise by sponsoring the education of 22 of them.”
Though the initial list has 22 names, the number is likely to increase in the coming days, he added.
Tariq Hamid Karra, who is also the President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, arrived in Rajouri and Poonch for a three-day visit.
On early Tuesday morning, Karra travelled to Poonch, where he chaired an event to formally hand over the financial assistance cheque sent by the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, for the children.
“This initiative is a gesture of compassion to ensure that the education of these children is not disrupted,” he said.
MLA Iftikhar Ahmad also hailed the move, calling it a humane decision. He said, “Rahul Gandhi has always empathised with the pain of the common man. This initiative is yet another example of that.”
A Congress leader was among the few and influential politicians in the country who had visited Poonch after the ceasefire came into effect on May 10.
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