Rahul had visited Poonch on May 24, and during the visit, he had directed the party leaders to identify the orphaned children so that they can be adopted and their education cost be borne by the party.
SRINAGAR — Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi would be adopting 22 children, who were orphaned by the Pakistani shelling during Operation Sindoor in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
“Rahul Gandhi will be adopting 22 children, whose parents were killed in the Pakistani shelling during Operation Sindoor in Poonch,” J&K Congress chief spokesman Ravindra Sharma told the TNIE.
According to him, Rahul would be bearing the total cost of education of 22 children orphaned in Pakistani shelling, TNIE reported.
The border district of Poonch was the worst hit in the Pakistan shelling during 4-day skirmishes between India and Pakistan militaries after May 7 Operation Sindoor. At least 13 civilians were killed and 75 others injured and hundreds of houses and structures damaged in the Pakistani troops shelling.
“Rahul will continue assistance to the orphaned children till completion of their graduation,” J&K Congress chief spokesman Ravindra Sharma said.
Rahul had visited Poonch on May 24, and during the visit, he had directed the party leaders to identify the orphaned children so that they can be adopted and their education cost be borne by the party.
“Our leaders and workers went to Poonch and identified the 22 children, who have either lost one of their parents or both of their parents in the Pakistani shelling. The list was also cross checked with the administration. The children have lost the sole bread earners in the cross border shelling and there was none to take care of them,” Sharma said.
He said the first instalment of assistance would be released to the children for their education in Poonch tomorrow (Wednesday).
“J&K Congress chief and Congress youth president will visit Poonch tomorrow and release the first instalment of assistance to the children,” Sharma said.