Rahul Gandhi rides bike to Pangong Lake: Why is he in Ladakh?

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who is on a Ladakh visit, drove a bike to Pangong Lake on Saturday (19 August). Sharing pictures on his Instagram account, the leader wrote, “On our way to Pangong lake, which my father used to say, is one of the most beautiful places in the world”. Dressed in full biking gear, Gandhi rode a KTM 390 Adventure to scenic Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh. Situated at a height of about 4,350 metres, Pangong is considered the “world’s highest saltwater lake”. As per Hindustan Times (HT), the Wayanad MP is likely to stay overnight in a tourist camp near the lake. He will also observe the birth anniversary of his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi near the lake on Sunday (20 August), sources told news agency ANI.

But what is Rahul Gandhi doing in Ladakh? What does his schedule look like? Let’s take a closer look. Football match and more Gandhi arrived to a “rousing” welcome in Ladakh on Thursday, as per The Telegraph report. He was received by several party workers and supporters at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh, the report added. This is his maiden visit to Ladakh after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35 (A) in August 2019 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories – Ladakh and J&K. The next day, Gandhi interacted with hundreds of youth at an event in Leh. Congress’ Leh district spokesperson, Tsering Namgyal, as per News18, said, “Rahul Gandhi had a 40-minute-long interactive session with over 500 youth in a jam-packed auditorium in Leh on Friday." [caption id=“attachment_13016242” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Rahul Gandhi was welcomed by supporters at Leh airport on 17 August. PTI[/caption] During the event, Gandhi reportedly accused Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of putting “its own people in every institution”. “India got freedom in 1947 and consolidation of freedom in India is constitutional. The Constitution is a move… The way you put Constitution into action is by setting up institutions that support the vision of the Constitution … Now what RSS is doing is it is placing its own people in key pots of institutional structure,” the Congress leader was quoted as saying by HT. Later in the day, Gandhi was also seen enjoying a football match in the city. In the video shared by ANI on X, people sitting with the Congress leader can be seen clicking selfies with him.

While Gandhi’s Ladakh trip was supposed to be for two days, he extended his tour on Friday till 25 August. As per The Telegraph, the Treasury benches had mentioned that Gandhi did not visit Ladakh during his Bharat Jodo Yatra as he spoke on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha earlier this month. “That time the road to Ladakh was closed. Otherwise, I am sure he would have continued his Yatra here. He promised he would come to Ladakh and fulfilled his promise today,” Namgyal, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC Leh), told The Telegraph. In January, the Congress leader had visited Jammu and Srinagar during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. Kargil visit on agenda According to The Hindu, Gandhi will arrive in Kargil, located 200 km away from Leh, on 24 August. He is slated to address a public gathering here. His proposed visit comes ahead of elections for LAHDC-Kargil which are scheduled for 10 September. The Congress and National Conference (NC) have formed an alliance for the Kargil hill council polls. NC vice president Omar Abdullah could join Gandhi during the public rally on 25 August. “The Congress and the NC have decided to form an alliance for the LAHDC polls. We expect Abdullah to join and amplify the voices of secular forces here. The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) remains the main opponent in Kargil and we intend to keep the BJP at bay,” Congress leader Nasir Munshi told The Hindu. However, NC sources told the newspaper that Congress has yet not formally invited Abdullah for the rally. In the 2018 Kargil hill council elections, the NC bagged 10 seats, followed by Congress which won eight seats. The BJP only got one seat in the 30-member LAHDC-K, noted The Hindu. As per ANI, Gandhi will also visit Kargil Memorial in Drass during his stay. ‘Vacationing in Ladakh’ As Gandhi tours the Union Territory, newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai said on Friday that the Wayanad MP will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi. BJP’s Smriti Irani had defeated Rahul from the Gandhi-Nehru family bastion in the 2019 general elections. “See, this is what the people and the party workers of Amethi want. They want Rahul Gandhi to rectify our mistakes there and they will make Rahul Gandhi win from Amethi with a massive majority,” Rai was quoted as saying by HT. The UP Congress president also said that Priyanka Gandhi will contest from “where she wants to”. However, Rai had earlier told reporters that Gandhi will “definitely” contest the Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, reported NDTV. His remarks evoked a reaction from the BJP, whose leader Amit Malviya took a dig at Gandhi and his party. “It seems that the new president of UP Congress spoke too much in enthusiasm. Now that you have made announcements for Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, you should have also announced from where Sonia Gandhi will be contesting”.

“Is Rahul Gandhi, who is vacationing in Leh, not shocked after hearing Ajay Rai’s announcement?,” Malviya wrote on X in Hindi. With inputs from agencies