Jammu, July 29, 2025 : 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 during Operation Sindoor, senior party leader Tariq Hameed Karra said.
Karra, the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president, stated that the initiative follows Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Poonch in the aftermath of the May shelling. “He personally met the grieving families and directed us to identify school-going children who lost their parents, especially breadwinners. We have submitted a list of 22 children from Poonch district so far,” he said.
Karra added that the number may rise after the ongoing three-day assessment tour of Rajouri and Poonch districts.
Between May 7 and 10, Pakistani shelling and drone attacks claimed 28 civilian lives across Jammu and Kashmir — 13 of them in Poonch alone. These attacks followed India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure across the border in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.
On Tuesday, Karra will visit Poonch to personally distribute financial aid for the affected children’s education on behalf of Rahul Gandhi. “This initiative ensures these children’s education continues despite their loss,” he said.
Karra also dismissed rumors of discord with alliance partner National Conference, saying, “We’ve been waiting for a coordination committee for nine months. But there is no rift.”
