Srinagar, Aug 9: Senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi who arrived in Srinagar on Monday for a two-day visit to Kashmir will be holding a series of deliberations with party leaders and workers on Tuesday.
Speaking with Greater Kashmir, All India Congress Committee (AICC), in-charge Jammu & Kashmir, Rajani Patil said Gandhi who arrived at the Srinagar International Airport at around 5 pm on Monday among others was received by senior Congress leaders including J&K Congress unit president G A Mir and senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Saifuddin Soz.
Patil said Gandhi is scheduled to visit Mata Kheer Bhawani Temple at Tulmulla in Ganderbal district on Tuesday morning and later visit Dargah Hazratbal in Srinagar outskirts. “At 11 am, he will be inaugurating the newly constructed compound at the party headquarters at MA Road. He has been quite keen to inaugurate the office himself and we feel quite glad to have him in the Valley,” said Patil.
Patil said later in the day, Gandhi will be holding deliberations with “prominent party leaders and workers”.
When asked whether the ongoing visit of Rahul Gandhi was a personal or political, Patil said: “No, it is not a personal visit…it is a political (visit) during which he (Gandhi) would be meeting prominent party leaders and workers to get firsthand account of the party activities in Kashmir”.
Patil said although Rahul Gandhi had earlier planned a visit to Jammu as well but said he was unable to do so due to the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament. “He won’t be able to visit Jammu this time but will surely pay a visit there after one month or so,” Patil said.
Gandhi will also be attending the wedding function of J&K Congress unit president GA Mir’s son on Tuesday.
Patil said Gandhi will be returning back to New Delhi on Tuesday evening.
It may be mentioned that this would be Rahul Gandhi’s first visit to Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. Two weeks after the abrogation of Article 370, Rahul Gandhi had reached Srinagar as part of a delegation of opposition party leaders. However, the delegation was prevented from touring the Valley and was returned back from Srinagar International Airport.