 early times report
Jammu, July 12: Advocate Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), strongly condemned the provocative and communally charged remarks that no Bangali should visit Muslim majority Kashmir valley made by the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, terming them as an extension of the BJP’s deeply divisive and dangerous politics.
In a press statement issued here today, the Senior NC leader said that Adhikari’s appeal to Bengalis not to visit Muslim-majority areas of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly Kashmir Valley, is not only appalling but also reflects the BJP’s persistent agenda of sowing communal discord. “Such statements are not only a direct assault on the idea of India but also an insult to the composite culture and pluralistic ethos of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Rattan Lal questioned the hypocrisy of the BJP leadership. “On one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are making public appeals asking people from across the country to visit Kashmir and experience its unmatched beauty and hospitality.
On the other hand, their own party leader is poisoning the minds of people by invoking communal narratives and asking them to stay away from Muslim-majority regions,” he pointed out.
The senior NC leader said that the people of Kashmir, regardless of their religion, have always welcomed tourists with open arms. “Reducing the Valley to a religious demographic to incite fear and hatred is not only factually wrong but also highly irresponsible. Such rhetoric has the potential to damage the national fabric and cause deep fissures in society,” he asserted.
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