J&K BJP and Congress chiefs condemn terror attack in Pahalgam

The two parties call for stern action

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir units of the BJP and Congress strongly condemned the terror attack on unarmed tourists at a Pahalgam resort on Tuesday.

Calling it a "tragic and unfortunate incident", Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Sat Sharma said the attack was carried out at the behest of Pakistan, targeting innocent visitors who had come to the Union Territory to experience its natural beauty.

"This is heartbreaking. The tourists had visited Vaishno Devi and later decided to explore scenic destinations like Pahalgam. Such acts of violence should not happen, especially when people come here in peace," Sharma said.

Expressing his concern for those injured in the attack, Sharma prayed for their speedy recovery and assured that the terrorists responsible would not be spared.  "Those involved will be eliminated one by one. They will face the consequences of their actions," he said.

Sharma further alleged that Pakistan-backed elements are once again attempting to disrupt peace in Kashmir.  "After trying to create unrest in Kashmir, they encouraged violence in Jammu. When pressure increased in Jammu, incidents began resurfacing in the Valley," he added.

Sharma noted that the attack comes just as the tourism season is beginning in Kashmir, when the local economy heavily depends on visitors.  "This is a deliberate attempt to derail the tourism season, which is crucial for the livelihood of many in Kashmir. But such conspiracies will not succeed," he stated.

He reaffirmed that terrorism would be crushed with an iron hand.

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) Chief Tariq Hameed Karra called it a "dastardly and disturbing incident".

Reacting strongly over the attack ahead of Amarnath Yatra, Karra expressed grave concern over the worsening security situation and called for more effective measures to strengthen the security network.  He said the situation has worsened in the past couple of years and terror networks have spread in most parts of Jammu region, which was almost normal in the last two decades.

The Central government was cautioned time and again to control the worsening situation by further strengthening the security grip and taking on board political parties and the elected government to adopt a more effective counter-terrorism strategy, Karra said.

He reiterated the demand for an all-party meet to discuss the security situation.

The party expressed solidarity with the terror attack victims and their families and prayed for early recovery of the injured.