Rahul visits family of Lt Narwal, seeks justice for victims of Pahalgam attack

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited the residence of Lt Vinay Narwal in Karnal today to pay tribute and offer condolences to the family of the deceased officer, who was among the 26 victims of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.

Gandhi reached the family’s home at 12.43 pm and spent approximately 90 minutes consoling the bereaved relatives. Media personnel were not permitted inside during the visit, and Congress leaders accompanying Gandhi waited outside while he met the family.

Though he did not address the media afterwards, Gandhi shared his sentiments on the social media platform ‘X’.

“I met the bereaved family of Lt Vinay Narwal who was a victim in the Pahalgam attack and shared their grief and consoled them,” he wrote.

Praising the resilience of the family, Gandhi said, “Their courage and bravery even in the midst of immense grief is a message for the country —we have to remain united.”

He emphasised national unity and collective support, saying, “The whole country stands with the families of the victims.”

Gandhi also reiterated the Opposition’s support for the government on issues of national security.

“The Opposition fully supports the government. The culprits should be punished in such a way that no one dares to raise an eye towards India,” he said.

Calling for action, he said, “Today the entire nation, along with the families of victims, is waiting for justice.”

Among those present during the visit were Congress state incharge BK Hariprasad, co-incharge Prafulla Vinod Rao, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Udai Bhan, Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda, youth leader Divyanshu Budhiraja, former MLA Sumita Singh, and other party leaders.

Commenting on the nature of the visit, Deepender Hooda described it as a personal interaction.

“Rahul came here to meet the family members of Lt Vinay Narwal. He met the bereaved family members and held a private conversation with them,” he said.

Asked about the discussion, Hooda said, “This was a personal and family matter, not for the media. One can only imagine the pain in the hearts of the family members.”

When Deepender Hooda was asked about Vinay’s wife Himanshi being trolled on social media for her message of unity, peace and communal harmony, he said “Our sole purpose is to pay tribute to Lt Vinay Narwal. We are here to honour a brave son of Haryana and stand with his family.”

Security arrangements for the visit were extensive. Two DSPs and additional police forces were deployed in the area. Karnal SP Ganga Ram Punia personally inspected the location and instructed officers to restrict access to only those with prior permission.