BJP leader asks people to not visit Kashmir

July 12, 2025 by News Desk

Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP state president Suvendu Adhikari has stirred controversy with his call urging Bengalis not to visit “Muslim-majority” areas in Jammu Kashmir, following the recent killing of tourists in Pahalgam.

“Don’t go to Muslim-majority areas,” Adhikari said during a public interaction on Friday. “If you want to visit Kashmir, go to Jammu. Otherwise, go to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha—there are plenty of places to travel. In Pahalgam, they asked tourists their religion before killing them.”

His comments came a day after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, where she emphasized that the safety of tourists in Kashmir is the responsibility of the central government. Banerjee also urged people of West Bengal to continue visiting the region.

The Trinamool Congress responded sharply, accusing Adhikari of echoing the language and objectives of militant groups. “By discouraging Bengalis from visiting Kashmir, Suvendu has effectively amplified the fear that terrorists seek to spread,” the party said on social media. “Is this the official position of the BJP? Does Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, or Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar endorse this kind of divisive rhetoric?”

TMC minister Shashi Panja said Adhikari’s remarks mirrored “the narratives of Pakistan and Bangladesh.” She added, “You cannot issue a ‘farman’ telling Bengalis not to visit Kashmir. Is this just because Omar Abdullah came to Bengal?”

The controversy comes amid a renewed political exchange over Kashmir in national politics.

The BJP leader claimed he met the families of those from West Bengal who were killed in Kashmir and questioned why Omar Abdullah did not do the same during his Kolkata visit.

Trinamool leaders also raised questions about the stand of newly appointed West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya.

Notably, Bhattacharya had earlier said the party’s fight was not against minorities. Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari has previously called for the dissolution of the BJP’s minority morchas, arguing that Muslims do not vote for the party.

Left and Congress leaders joined the chorus of condemnation, calling the remarks “communal and dangerous” at a time when the central government has been claiming normalcy in Jammu Kashmir.

Jammu Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) strongly condemned Suvendu Adhikari’s remarks, calling them both “irresponsible” and “deeply shameful.”

JKNC chief spokesperson and legislator Tanvir Sadiq said the BJP leader’s comments came at a time when the rest of the country is standing with the people of Kashmir.

“Suvendu Adhikari is spewing hate-filled, divisive, and communal rhetoric. Kashmiris have always stood with the nation—not out of compulsion or benefit—but because it was the right thing to do,” he said.

Sadiq added that such remarks insult not only the people of Kashmir but also the very foundation of India’s unity.

“This is not just about Kashmir; this is about the soul of India,” he said, urging all democratic voices across the political spectrum to condemn what he termed a “dangerous and vile” line of thinking.