Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday offered prayers at Kheer Bhawani temple located in Tulmulla village, Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir.
"The theme background of our party has always been secularism. Gandhi family's routes are also connected to Kashmir. Though the migration happened four to five generations ago, all the Congress leaders from Gandhi family have given special attention to Kashmir owing to its special status," said the Congress leader Raman Mattoo on Gandhi's visit.
"Not only this temple, Rahul will also visit Hazrat Dargah Sharif after this. It is not only about paying obeisance to one deity or another but also spreading the message of secularism through his visit," he added.
"Kheer Bhawani temple has been famous for decades. It is good that Rahul Gandhi is visiting here as it will make the village more lively. This temple does not only belong to Hindus as Kheer Bhawani Mela is incomplete without 30-40 per cent of Muslims present there," said a Muslim local.
He further stated that Gandhi should also interact with local people there. "Praying to Mata is good. But to make this this visit more meaningful he should interact with people here," he said.
Meanwhile, Gandhi performed a pooja in the temple and sought Goddess Kheer Bhawani's blessings.
( With inputs from ANI )
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