Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Saturday joined her son Rahul Gandhi for a two-day private visit to Kashmir and chose the idyllic Nigeen Lake’s famous houseboat, ‘The Jewel in Crown’, to stay in.
Top Congress leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including Congress Working Committee members G. A. Mir and Tariq Hamed Karra, received Ms. Gandhi at the Srinagar airport.
Former Union Minister Saifudin Soz, and ex-Ministers Raman Bhalla and Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed were also present on the occasion.
“Jammu and Kashmir is his (Rahul’s) home. He loves people here and this land, so he wants to spend two days here in peace. This is not a political visit. It is a completely personal and private visit,” Vikar Rasool Wani, Jammu and Kashmir Congress President, said.
The duo took a boat ride on the lake. Mr. Gandhi, Member of Parliament from Wayanad, arrived in Srinagar earlier after a weeklong bike tour of Ladakh. Sources said Priyanka Gandhi was also likely to join them. Mr. Gandhi was seen interacting with the locals in Srinagar.
“Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and the speech made on January 31 in Srinagar was an indication of how connected he is with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and how seriously he takes Jammu and Kashmir in his politics,” Mr. Karra said.
Official sources said the duo preferred to stay at the upgraded houseboat, ‘The Jewel in Crown’ on the Nigeen Lake, which is part of the Dal lake, in Srinagar.
“Their shikara ride up to Char Chinari was a reflection of the newfound allure of the Nigeen Lake,” an NLCO, an NGO working on the cleanliness of the lake, said in a statement.
The Gandhis are likely to visit tourist hotspot Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla on Sunday.
