Congress leader Rahul Gandhi embarked on a bike ride to Pangong Lake on Saturday to celebrate his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary on August 20. He arrived in the Union Territory on Thursday.
Taking to Instagram, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “On our way to Pangong Lake, which my father used to say, is one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
This is the Congress leader’s first visit to Ladakh since Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union Territories, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 (A) on August 5, 2019. Although, the Wayanad MP had visited Srinagar and Jammu twice earlier this year, he had not travelled to Ladakh.
Rahul Gandhi arrived in Leh to begin his two-day visit to the Union Territory on Thursday, but reportedly his tour has been extended till August 25, ANI reported, citing party sources.
He had interacted with youths in Leh on Friday. The Congress leader will also participate in the meeting of the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil elections on August 25. The Congress and National Conference have forged a pre-poll alliance against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Kargil council polls scheduled to be held on September 10.