WATCH | Rahul Pays Tribute to Rajiv Gandhi at Pangong Tso; To Be In Ladakh Till Aug 25

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid tribute to his father and prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary on the banks of the Pangong Lake in Ladakh on Sunday.

A prayer meeting is scheduled to be held at the banks of the lake later in the day. The senior Congress leader rode a bike from Leh to Ladakh’s Pangong Tso on Saturday to celebrate his father’s birth anniversary.

President of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, Vikar Rasool Wani said that Gandhi will pay tribute to the former prime minister in Ladakh, adding that, Rajiv Gandhi had “sacrificed his life for the country”.

Gandhi paid tribute to his father from Pangong Tso’s banks at the height of around 1400 feet.

Rajiv Gandhi — born on August 20, 1944 — served as the seventh Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989.

Meanwhile, in the national capital, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPC) chairperson Sonia Gandhi also paid a floral tribute to the former prime minister at ‘Veer Bhumi’. Following Gandhi, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Robert Vadra also paid homage to Rajiv Gandhi at his memorial on Sunday morning.

Several other Congress leaders and party workers will also be paying tribute to the former prime minister in Delhi.

Rahul Gandhi’s two-day visit to the Union Territory began on August 17 and was later extended till August 25.

There were so many complaints from the people of Ladakh, they are not happy with the status that has been given to them, they want representation and there is a problem of unemployment…people are saying that the state should not be run by bureaucracy but state must be run by voice of people…”, said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

This is Rahul Gandhi’s first visit to Ladakh since the removal of Articles 370 and 35 (A) in 2019, leading to the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories, Ladakh and J&K.

Rahul Gandhi is also likely to watch a football match in Leh. Gandhi will also be participating in the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) – Kargil elections meeting on August 25.

The Congress MP had previously visited Srinagar and Jammu twice but did not visit Ladakh. First he visited Jammu and Srinagar during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and then for the second time he made a personal visit in February.

(With inputs from ANI)