Rahul Gandhi's bike odyssey continues in Ladakh, reaches Lamayuru

Leh: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reached Lamayuru, known for its ancient monastery and incredible landscape, riding a motorcycle from Leh town, a party leader said. Gandhi, who is currently on a tour of the Union Territory of Ladakh, covered a distance of about 130 km to reach Lamayuru where he will stay overnight before moving to Zanskar, a tehsil of Kargil district, on Wednesday. He will be in Kargil town on Thursday.

The 53-year-old leader returned to Leh from Nubra valley on the motorcycle on Monday and was given a warm welcome by people in the main market in the evening, Congress spokesperson and leader of opposition in Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, Tsering Namgyal told PTI.

Gandhi reached Ladakh on August 17 and is scheduled to visit Kargil in the next couple of days during his over week-long tour of the region, his first after the region was granted UT status after being carved out from Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.

"Bharat Jodo is deeply rooted in every Indian's heart and mind. The resonating chant of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' echoing through the streets of Leh serves as a strong example of this unity. No power can suppress this voice, brimming with affection and camaraderie," Gandhi wrote on his social media account.

The Wayanad MP also shared pictures and a video where he was seen holding a tricolour while meeting a group of veterans on the first floor of a building and waving to cheering crowd gathering on the streets of Leh main market.

Namgyal, who took the former Congress president through the main market, said Gandhi walked to some fruit vendors on the roadside to "know about their problems amid inflation".

"The people who gathered around chanted slogans in praise of Gandhi and also took selfies with him," he said, adding Gandhi also interacted with a family living in the town.

On Saturday, Gandhi rode a motorcycle from Leh to Pangong Lake and stayed overnight to celebrate the birth anniversary of his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi the next day.

On his return from Nubra valley on the motorcycle, Gandhi took pictures at Khardungla, the world's highest motorable road at a height of 18,380 feet.

On his way to Lamayuru along the Leh-Kargil national highway, Gandhi stopped at the famous magnetic hill and had lunch at famous Alchi Kitchen, Namgyal, who accompanied Gandhi on the trip, said.