The bodies of Bitan Adhikari and Sameer Guha, victims of a brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, were flown in from Delhi to Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport. The attack, which claimed the lives of three West Bengal residents, including Adhikari, Guha, and Manish Ranjan and countless other tourists, was orchestrated by a terrorist group by the name of IRF.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences, stating that the government of the state is making arrangements to support the bereaved.
A heart-wrenching account from Adhikari’s widow, shared in a video circulating on social media, detailed the targeted nature of the attack. She recounted how the assailants separated Hindus and Muslims, demanding victims recite the Kalma. “They asked me if I was Muslim, if I could recite the Kalma. I said no, and they killed him,” she said, describing how her husband was shot in front of their son. The chilling testimony has garnered traction on social media due to ghe attack’s apparent religion centric outcome.
At the airport, West Bengal Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari met the victims’ families to pay his respects. In an impassioned response to the widow’s account, he vowed retribution, stating, “They will kill Hindus in Hindustan? Just like Israel finished Gaza, we will also put an end to this menace. We are Modi’s pupils.” Promising support, he added, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of your kid. I’ll help you in whatever way I can.” netizens have condemned his remarks that urge for actions similar to Israel’s genocide in Gaza Palestine.
The situation remains quite volatile with survivors and victims reaching their states one by one and recounting the events with spine chilling details. In the meantime, Kashmiri residents have taken to candle marches in the streets of Jammu in solidarity with the victims who suffered. Airlines on the other hand have drawn significant attention online with the steep increase in airfares for return tickets from Srinagar
