Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday took a boat ride in Srinagar’s Nigeen Lake before meeting her son and party leader Rahul Gandhi on a personal visit on Saturday. In a video posted by news agency ANI, she was seen sitting and enjoying the boat ride in the lake. This took place during her personal visit as her son Rahul Gandhi arrived in Srinagar on Friday from his week-long Ladakh tour, 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 them, reported news agency PTI. They will all visit Gulmarg on Sunday.
Senior party leaders, including Congress Central Working Committee members and Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani, were present at the airport to welcome Sonia Gandhi. The Party leader said there are no political engagements scheduled during the family’s personal trip.
He was quoted as saying by PTI: "It is a completely personal, family visit and no political engagement or meeting with any party leaders will happen.”
This comes in the backdrop of Rahul Gandhi’s Ladakh trip on August 17. It was 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.
During his trip, Rahul 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.