Why Union ministers thank Rahul for Ladakh bike trip

As Rahul Gandhi posted pictures on social media of his motorcycle ride in Ladakh, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday complimented him for promoting the excellent roads built in the Himalayan region under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Rijiju also posted a video on 'X', formerly Twitter, claiming to be of 2012 in which a series of sports utility vehicles can be seen trying to navigate a makeshift road full of stones and boulders en route Pangong Tso in Ladakh.

The Earth Sciences Minister also posted a picture of Gandhi riding a motorcycle on a smooth blacktop road en route Pangong Tso, where a prayer meeting is scheduled to mark the birth anniversary of his father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on Sunday.

"Thanks to Rahul Gandhi for promoting the excellent roads of Ladakh built by the Narendra Modi government," Rijiju said in a post on 'X'.

The minister said earlier too Gandhi had showcased how tourism was booming in Kashmir Valley and reminded all that the national flag can be peacefully hoisted at Lal Chowk in Srinagar now.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on 'X', "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."

Gandhi is currently on a tour of Ladakh -- his first since the region was made a Union territory after being carved out of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. Gandhi is likely to visit Kargil next week.

The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was also turned into a Union territory and its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution was revoked.

Gandhi reached Leh on a two-day visit on Thursday and later decided to extend his stay in the region by four more days to cover Pangong Lake, Nubra Valley and Kargil district.