On Wednesday, West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari vehemently condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which a few tourists lost their lives. Adhikari claimed that Hindus are being targeted particularly, not only in Kashmir but also in West Bengal and nearby Bangladesh.
"In Pahalgam, none of the Bengali, Odia, Marathi, Kannadiga, Haryanvi, Tamil, or Malayali people were murdered. Hindus were murdered. Whether Kashmir, West Bengal, or Bangladesh, the intention is the same—to destroy Hindus," Adhikari declared in an open message on Wednesday.
He compared the Pahalgam attack, communal unrest in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, and attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh to claim that Hindus are especially at risk of targeted violence. For Adhikari, religion is the only defense for Hindus, who suffer "countless atrocities."
Adhikari also challenged the chronic splits in Hindus on the basis of caste, language, region, and ideology. "If extremists do not differentiate among Hindus, why should we be divided on the basis of caste, regional identity, dietary habits, liberalism, centrism, or rightism?" he asked.
Three West Bengal people were among those killed in the attack: Manish Ranjan Mishra, a Central Intelligence Bureau (IB) official; Sameer Guha; and Bitan Adhikari.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sympathized on Wednesday and promised help to the families of the victims. She ensured that all required arrangements had been made to take care of the families at New Delhi airport and make their journey to Kolkata smooth. "The plane is likely to reach Kolkata today at 8:30 p.m. We are in touch with the families through our Resident Commissioner's office in Delhi. I am personally monitoring the process, and senior officers are working on the ground. It is a somber hour for all of us," Banerjee said.
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