Assault on Kashmir's development: Punjab BJP in-charge Vijay Rupani on Pahalgam terror attack

Chandigarh, April 23 (IANS) Condemning the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP on Wednesday termed it a blot on humanity and a direct assault on Kashmir’s path to development.

“The cowardly act has sparked widespread outrage across the country,” said Punjab BJP in-charge and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, declaring that the perpetrators will be taught such a lesson that their future generations will think before casting an evil eye on India.

Carrying national flags, BJP activists led by Rupani carried out a protest march in Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, against the massacre of at least 26 tourists on Tuesday after gunmen opened fire on innocent civilians in Baisaran in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to eyewitness accounts, a group of heavily armed terrorists emerged from the nearby forests and opened indiscriminate fire on civilians, most of whom were tourists.

At the protest march, Rupani emphasised that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, decisive strides have been made toward stability and development in Kashmir. “The airstrike following the Pulwama attack broke the back of terrorism in the region. Subsequently, the Valley witnessed record tourist footfall, improved employment opportunities for locals, and a return to normal life.”

He said this attack is not just the murder of innocent people but also a direct blow to Kashmir’s peace, trade, and tourism, threatening once again to destabilise everyday life in the region. The BJP affirmed that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah “are more than capable of responding to such attacks with force and resolve”.

The party also urged the Punjab government to keep the state on high alert, given the state's extensive border with Pakistan. As part of the protest, the BJP workers and leaders marched from the BJP office in Sector 37 and culminated the demonstration by burning an effigy of Pakistan at the Sector 25 chowk.

--IANS

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