Leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi met Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah at his residence on Friday, in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. He also visited one of the victims of the attack in Srinagar and said that the idea behind the attack was to divide the society.
“It’s been a terrible tragedy. I came here to get a sense of what’s going on and to help,“ the Congress MP said, “my love and affection go out to everyone who has lost family members. I want everyone to know that the nation stands with them as one.”
Gandhi also met with the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir and assured “both of them that myself and our party will fully support them.”
Speaking about the motive behind the assault, he said, “The idea behind what has happened is to divide society, and it’s crucial that every Indian stands united and defeats what the terrorists are trying to do. It’s sad to see that some people are attacking my brothers and sisters from Kashmir and the rest of the country. It’s essential to stand united and together to fight this nasty action and defeat terrorism once and for all.”
Gandhi also participated in an all-party meeting on Thursday, called by the Centre to discuss the security situation and India’s response. He confirmed that the opposition unanimously condemned the attack and backed the government’s measures.
“The entire people of Jammu and Kashmir have condemned this terrible act and are fully supportive of the nation at this time. I met one of the people who was injured,” he said.
Following the attack, the Indian government launched strong countermeasures against Pakistan, accusing it of continuing to harbour and support cross-border terrorism.
The attack, which took place on April 22 at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, left dozens injured and has sparked national outrage.