Rahul Gandhi to 'adopt' 22 orphaned children from Poonch affected by Pakistani shelling
The education of these children, many of whom were orphaned in the wake of Pakistani shelling, will be fully funded by Gandhi, with support continuing until they complete their graduation, The Indian Express reported, quoting Jammu and Kashmir Congress chief Tariq Hamid Karra.
He said the first aid instalment will be released this week to ensure the students can continue their schooling without interruption.
'Why did you stop?': Rahul Gandhi interjects as Rajnath Singh details Operation Sindoor ceasefire | Watch
Gandhi, during a visit to Poonch in May, asked local party leaders to compile a list of affected children. Subsequently, a survey was conducted, and the names of the children were finalised after cross-checking government records.
During his visit, Gandhi also stopped at Christ Public School to meet classmates of Urba Fatima and Zain Ali, 12-year-old twins who died in the shelling.
Also Read | Cong's Manish Tewari hints with a song why he didn't speak in Op Sindoor debate, references Shashi Tharoor too
Speaking to the children, the Congress MP also offered some words of comfort.
'I feel very, very proud of you. You miss your little friends. I'm very sorry about that. Now, you feel a little bit of danger and a little frightened, but don't worry; everything will go back to normal. Your way of responding to this should be to study really hard, play really hard and make a lot of friends in school,' the publication quoted Gandhi as saying.
Poonch, one of the regions hit hardest by the Pakistani shelling, saw several civilians, including children, injured. Among the lives lost was Vihaan Bhargav, a young boy killed by shrapnel as his family tried to escape the escalating violence.
Operation Sindoor was carried out in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22 this year.
In retaliation, India targeted nine terror hubs across Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Pakistan and neutralised over 100 terrorists.
After the May 7 operations, India and Pakistan reached a cessation of hostilities understanding on May 10.
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