Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Pralhad Joshi complimented Rahul Gandhi after he posted photos of his Ladakh bike trip on Saturday for surprising reasons. Rijiju thanked the Opposition leader for promoting the excellent roads built in the Himalayan region under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership while Joshi praised him for showcasing post-Article 370 developments in Leh and Ladakh.
Earth Sciences Minister Rijiju tweeted a video, purportedly taken from 2012, wherein some SUVs struggle to drive on a road ridden with stones and boulders en route Pangong Tso in Ladakh. To compare, he also posted a photo of Gandhi riding his KTM on a smooth blacktop road en route Pangong Tso, saying, “Thanks to Rahul Gandhi for promoting the excellent roads of Ladakh built by the Narendra Modi government.”
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Joshi tweeted, "To witness and spread the word about post-Article 370 developments in Leh and Ladakh, Shri Rahul Gandhi himself has taken a trip to the valley. We are elated and delighted to watch glimpses of his road trip."
Rahul, who arrived in Leh on Thursday, came to Pangong Tso for a prayer meeting to mark the birth anniversary of his father and former PM Rajiv Gandhi on Sunday. "On our way to Pangong Lake, which my father used to say, is one of the most beautiful places in the world." Rahul Gandhi wrote on Instagram.
He is expected to visit Nubra Valley and Kargil district this week and will be in Ladakh till August 25. This is Gandhi’s first visit to Ladakh since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. It comes ahead of elections of the 30-member Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil on September 10.
Earlier this year, Gandhi was in the neighbouring Union Territory, Jammu and Kashmir, and hoisted the national flag at Srinagar's Lal Chowk on the last day of his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Back then, Rijiju remarked on a similar note, saying Gandhi had showcased booming tourism in Kashmir Valley and reminded all that the tricolour can be peacefully hoisted at Lal Chowk in Srinagar.
