SRINAGAR: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi arrived in Srinagar on Friday to meet a tourist injured in the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. He also held discussions with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Congress party leaders.
Gandhi said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had condemned the “terrible action” and the united opposition would support any action taken by the government following the Pahalgam terror attack.
“It has been a terrible tragedy. I came here to get a sense of what is going on and to help. The entire people of Jammu and Kashmir have condemned this terrible action. And they have fully supported the nation at this time,” Gandhi told reporters in Srinagar.
Soon after arriving, Gandhi visited Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag to meet one of the tourists injured in the attack.
On Tuesday, terrorists attacked tourists at Pahalgam’s Baisaran meadow, also known as ‘Mini Switzerland’, killing 25 tourists and a local resident, Adil Shah, who tried to snatch a weapon from the attacker in an attempt to save others.
“I met one of the injured. I could not meet other injured and family members because the injured people have gone back,” Rahul said.
He added that the nation must stand together in the aftermath of such violence.
“We had a meeting with the Government yesterday and the united opposition condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. We are there to support whatever action the government wants to take after the terror attack,” the Lok LoP said said.
Gandhi said the aim of the terror attack was to divide society. He called for national unity to defeat such attempts.
"The idea behind what has happened is to divide society, is to make brother fight brother and it is very important that every single Indian stands united, stands together so that we can defeat what the terrorists were trying to do," he said.
On reports of attacks on Kashmiri students in other parts of the country following the Pahalgam killings, Gandhi said, “It is sad to see that some people are attacking my brothers and sisters from Kashmir in the rest of the country. It is very important that all of us stand together and united and fight this nasty action that has been taken and defeat terrorism once for all.”
Gandhi also said he was briefed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on the security situation.
“I assured them that I and my party are going to support the government fully,” he said.
The killings have triggered widespread outrage across Kashmir and the rest of the country. For the first time in over three decades of insurgency, Kashmir observed a shutdown in protest against civilian killings by militants.
In response to the attack, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan and downgraded diplomatic ties with the neighbouring country.
