'Terrorists don’t see SC, ST, OBC; only Hindu’: CM condemns Pahalgam massacre
Sarma flagged the timing of the Pahalgam attack, linking it to Pakistan Army Chief’s threats to Hindus;
A file image of Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Jorhat, April 23: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Wednesday, issued a sharp condemnation of the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead and over 20 others injured.
Describing the incident as a “very critical issue”, the Chief Minister expressed grave concern over the reported targeting of victims based on their religion.
“I totally condemn the actions of the terrorists who reportedly asked the victims’ religion before killing them. It is a very dangerous development for us as a nation,” said Sarma, on the sidelines of a public meeting in Teok, Jorhat.
Sarma drew a chilling parallel between the incident and recent cross-border threats, noting, “Seven days ago, the Pakistan army chief threatened Hindus, and now this massacre has occurred.”
Sarma warned that terrorist groups make no distinction among Hindus and strike indiscriminately. “For these terrorists, there is no OBC, ST, SC or Adivasi; they target them all because they are Hindus,” he added.
In a strongly worded political message, Sarma also took aim at domestic political parties he accused of sowing division.
“There are political parties who keep searching for caste among Hindus. PM Modi will take care of the terrorists, but we must confront those who behave like Pakistanis and try to divide Hindus,” he said.
The attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF)—a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) proxy—targeted tourists in the scenic Baisaran Valley, just outside Pahalgam.
Among the 26 killed was a tourist from Arunachal Pradesh. Others hailed from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu.
Survivors described the attack as sudden and terrifying, with peaceful vacationers thrown into chaos as gunfire rang out through the valley.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has set up emergency control rooms in Anantnag and Srinagar to assist those affected.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia in response to the attack, held an emergency security meeting upon landing in New Delhi on Wednesday morning.
The meeting included National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
