Kolkata, April 24: BJP legislators in Bengal, led by the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, on Thursday staged protests against the Pahalgam terror attack by burning Pakistan flags in front of the House.

“The widows of both Bitan Adhikari and Sameer Guha, the two killed tourists from West Bengal at Pahalgam on Wednesday, described how the Hindus were selectively killed there. Bengalis, in general, are travel-loving people. I will request them that from henceforth the Hindu Bengalis should make their tour plans after considering the demography of their destination,” Adhikari told the media.

“Be it the recent riot-hit Murshidabad or be it Kashmir, the only aim is to selectively target the Hindus,” the Leader of the Opposition said.

He also said that just like Israeli actions at Gaza, Pakistan will also be taught a lesson by India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

“As long as Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister, everything is possible. Like Gaza, Pakistan will also be reduced to ashes,” Adhikari said.

Earlier, Adhikari also criticised actor-turned-politician and Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from Asansol, Shatrughan Sinha, for the latter’s comments that there is an attempt to create a narrative that only Hindus are being targeted.

Citing his comments, Adhikari said that the problem is that while terrorists come from outside, their supporters and sympathisers continue to roam around within the country.

“Their first task is to figure out how to trivialise brutality. I pray to God that they never have to stand in front of the barrel of a gun and be asked to recite the Kalma because I don’t want them to realise, even for a minute, the fool’s paradise they were living in, or get the slightest chance to feel remorse. They are not worthy of correction, repentance, or regret,” Adhikari said.

Hyderabad, April 24: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to invite all the parties, including those having one MP, to the all-party meeting on the Pahalgam terror attack.

Owaisi said that since this is a national issue, everyone must be heard.

The Lok Sabha member posed on X on Thursday that he spoke to Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday night regarding the Pahalgam all-party meeting.

“He said they’re thinking of inviting only parties with “5 or 10 MPs.” When I asked why not parties with fewer MPs, he said that the meeting would get “too long”. When I asked “What about us, the smaller parties?” He joked that my voice is anyway too loud,” posted Owaisi.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president stated that this is not a BJP’s or another party’s internal meeting, it is an all-party meeting to send a strong and united message against terrorism and those countries that harbour terrorists.

He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he couldn’t spend an extra hour to hear the concerns of all parties. “Your own party does not have a majority. Whether it is a party with 1 MP or a 100, they were both elected by Indians and deserve to be heard on such an important matter. This is not a political issue, it is a national issue. Everyone must be heard,” said Owaisi, urging the Prime Minister to make this a real all-party meeting.

Every party with an MP in Parliament must be invited, added Owaisi, the lone MP of AIMIM.

Owaisi on Wednesday strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam. He stated that terrorists killed innocent people after asking about their religion and hoped that the government would teach a lesson to these terrorists.

“This is tragic. This massacre. We are standing in solidarity with the affected families and pray for an early recovery of those injured,” he said.

Owaisi said the terror attack was a result of an intelligence failure. He demanded that the Narendra Modi government recheck its deterrence policy.

The MP said this incident was more condemnable than Uri and Pulwama as terrorists, who have come from the neighbouring country, targeted civilians.

The AIMIM chief said the terror attack was carried out to damage the tourism industry. He said the terrorists who came from Pakistan to spread terror picked up an area which is not even connected by road.

Mumbai, April 24: The mortal remains of Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote, who were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, were brought to Pune early Thursday morning.

Chants of ‘Pakistan jala do (burn down Pakistan)’ were raised during Jagdale’s funeral procession. NCP(SP) president Sharad Pawar met the families of Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote and expressed grief.

The Jagdale family, shattered by the brutal killing of Santosh Jagdale, burst into tears. “Today my life has been completely ruined, I cannot see my husband anymore,” said Jagdale’s wife, Pragati Jagdale, while venting out her emotions. She also demanded in front of Sharad Pawar that those terrorists should be shot the same way they killed her husband and others.

Pragati Jagdale further narrated the entire incident. “They (terrorists) had come wearing masks. There was no one there, there should have been an officer or security guard. Further, there was a delay in treatment. They didn’t tell us anything,” she said.

She added that the terrorists did not even spare the horse puller as he resisted and told them that they should not shower bullets on the tourists. “Don’t put people’s lives in danger, people’s lives are being ruined, tell me where I am going to look. My husband is not with me, what should these children do?” she asked in despair.

“I have not been able to see my husband’s face since yesterday. While in Kashmir, we could not see his face; here, too, his face is not being revealed. Terrorists shot my husband in the head. Do something for us. Find and kill those terrorists. Terrorists shot our people in the head and took out the flesh, took out the blood, do the same with them and show us the bodies of the terrorists. Terrorists shot their father in front of the children. The children were crying then. While coming down from there, we fell into the mud. Because of this, I cannot even stand on my feet,” said Pragati Jagdale.

“The local people there also cried for us, they felt bad because everything the terrorists did was against tourists, and they attacked tourists. The officers there also cried for us, they felt bad about what had happened. The lives of family members of 26 people killed in the terror attack have been completely destroyed,” she claimed.

Meanwhile, Kaustubh Lele, who lost his cousins Sanjay Lele, Hemant Joshi and Atul Mone from Dombivli in the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday, slammed the government, asking it to first ensure safety to its citizens instead of making tall claims about becoming a trillion-dollar economy.

“Focus on bringing ‘acche din’ of safety and security in the lives of Indian citizens, then show them the dream of becoming a dollar economy. Stop show-offs, branding and making loud claims. Take adequate steps for the safety of the people,” he said, expressing his anguish. “It is a big loss for three families as they have lost the head of the families. It has created a big vacuum which cannot be filled. Terror attacks are taking place unabated. Now take some concrete and firm steps against terrorism,” he said.