Tanvir Sadiq. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The ruling National Conference (NC) on Friday (July 11, 2025) expressed dismay over West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s remark that no Bengali should visit Muslim-majority Kashmir.
“It is deeply shameful that at a time when the entire country is standing with Jammu and Kashmir, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Mr. Adhikari, is spewing such hate-filled, divisive, and communal rhetoric,” NC leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said.
Speaking to reporters in West Bengal on Friday, Mr. Adhikari said: “Don’t visit places where Muslims are in the majority. Go to Jammu, if you are going to visit J&K. I am warning the people of Bengal not to visit Muslim-majority places. Your life is your priority. Protect your lives, children and women.”
His remarks came at a time when Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was touring West Bengal to win back tourists unnerved by the Pahalgam terror attack.
“Kashmiris have stood with the nation not out of compulsion, not for benefit but because it was the right thing to do. And when we are right, the nation must stand with us. Suvendu Adhikari’s statement is not just irresponsible, it is dangerous,” Mr. Sadiq said.
He said the BJP leader has insulted not only the people of Kashmir but the very idea of India, where unity in diversity is the strength. “Such vile thinking must be condemned by one and all. This isn’t just about Kashmir; this is about the soul of India,” the NC leader added.
Published – July 11, 2025 11:04 pm IST
