Sonia Gandhi arrives in Srinagar for personal visit, to join son Rahul

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday reached Srinagar on a personal visit even as her son Rahul Gandhi arrived here from his week-long Ladakh tour the previous day.

Upon her arrival at the airport on Saturday afternoon, Sonia was welcomed by senior leaders of her party, including Congress Central Working Committee members and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani.

Immediately after her arrival, Sonia visited the Nigeen Lake here and enjoyed a boat ride, a senior Congress leader said.

Rahul, who was in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh for the past week, arrived in Srinagar on Friday after addressing a public rally in Kargil earlier in the day. The Wayanad MP stayed at a houseboat in Nigeen Lake and the family is likely to stay at a hotel in the Rainawari area on Saturday. Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi, along with her husband Robert Wadra, is also likely to join the duo, the party leader said. The family is likely to visit Gulmarg on Sunday, he added. The leader, however, said no political engagements are scheduled for the family during the visit. ”It is a completely personal, family visit and no political engagement or meeting with any party leaders will happen,” he added.

Rahul reached Ladakh on August 17, his first visit to the region since it was granted UT status after being carved out from Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was also turned into a Union Territory with its special status under Article 370 revoked.

Over the past week, Rahul has visited almost all famous places in the region, including the Pangong Lake, Nubra Valley, Khardungla top, Lamayuru and Zanskar, on his motorbike before reaching Kargil on Thursday.