SRINAGAR: The arrival of Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul on a visit to Srinagar may be personal but could have a bit of political element as well, Congress sources indicated. While Rahul drove from Ladakh Friday afternoon, his mother Sonia flew in Saturday afternoon to Srinagar and joined him.
“We received Mrs Gandhi on Saturday and Rahul Ji a day earlier and we are told that the visit is completely personal and private,” one Congress leader said. “We had no formal meetings. Rahul Ji is in a houseboat and Mrs Gandhi took a motorboat to meet him.”
Another Congress leader said the visit is completely personal but there is a possibility of a dinner meeting with the senior party functionaries on August 28. He said he has no knowledge about the veracity of reports claiming the mother-daughter may have separate meetings with NC and PDP leadership.
While Sonia Gandhi is expected to stay till August 30, Rahul may fly home early.
A known biker, Rahul spent almost a week in Ladakh, using bike to travel around. He visited Pangong Lake, Nubra Valley, Khardungla top, Lamayuru, Zanskar and Kargil. The team left bikes and drove to Srinagar on Friday afternoon.
Vikar Rasoold Wani, the head of the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir told reporters that Priyanka Wadra family is also joining and the plans are afoot that they will visit Gulmarg on Sunday. He also has said that the visit is completely personal and there are no political engagements.
“We had a luncheon meeting in Sonamarg when we received him on Friday,” another senior Congress leader said. “There was no indication of a political engagement but the fact remains that when a politician visits a place, it can hardly be personal.” Another senior Congress leader said the family has in its history of visiting part of the time in Kashmir. “Indira Gandhi and Nehru would go for trekking when they were young,” he said.
Meanwhile at a function at Congress’s city headquarters, the party felicitated Tariq Hameed Karra and GA Mir for being inducted in the party’s highest decision-making body. Karra has been in the committee for the third consecutive term.
