New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded that the government must provide a concrete, generous and immediate relief and rehabilitation package for Poonch and other areas affected by Pakistani shelling.
Last Saturday, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha visited Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir and spent time with the affected people, including the families who lost their members in the cross-border attacks between May 7 and May 10.
Gandhi also visited shelling-hit Gurdwara Singh Sabha, temple Geeta Bhawan and Madrassa Zia-ul-Uloom, besides interacting with the students at the Christ High School.
In his letter to Modi, Gandhi said he recently visited Poonch, where 14 people including 4 children have tragically lost their lives and dozens have been injured in Pakistani shelling.
"This sudden and indiscriminate attack has caused massive destruction in the civilian areas. Hundreds of homes, shops, schools and religious places have been badly damaged. Many victims said that their years of hard work has been destroyed in one stroke," he wrote.
The people of Poonch and other border areas have been living in peace and harmony for decades, he said.
"Today when they are going through this deep crisis, it is our duty to understand their pain and provide all possible assistance to rebuild their lives. I urge the Government of India to come up with a solid and generous relief and rehabilitation package for Poonch and all other areas affected by Pakistani shelling," Gandhi said.
Sharing a video from the visit, Gandhi said on X, "The pain of Poonch can be felt only after going there. Broken homes, shattered lives - even from the echo of this pain, only one voice comes out - we Indians are one."
"I am not requesting, but reminding the government of its responsibility - a concrete, generous and immediate relief and rehabilitation package should be prepared for Poonch and other areas affected by Pakistani shelling. This is not help, it is a duty," Gandhi said in his post in Hindi on X.
In the video, many people affected by the shelling were seen sharing their experiences with Gandhi.
Gandhi on Saturday had said the border district in Jammu and Kashmir embodies the "harmony, unity and patriotism of Hindustan" and those trying to divide the country will never succeed in their design.
Poonch faced the brunt of the Pakistani shelling that left 28 people dead and 70 injured.
This was Gandhi's second visit to the Union territory since the dastardly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
Gandhi had also visited Srinagar on April 25 to meet those injured in the attack. He met Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and several stakeholders then.
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