Mamta called on the Bengali film industry to shoot in Kashmir and invited Kashmiri artists to participate in West Bengal’s cultural events, emphasizing solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, whom she described as “brothers and sisters.”
By Pravin Kumar
A fresh controversy has erupted in West Bengal following provocative remarks by BJP Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who urged Bengalis to avoid traveling to Kashmir, citing its “high Muslim population” in the wake of the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack.
The statement, made on July 10, has drawn sharp criticism for its communal undertones and directly contradicts West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s appeal to boost tourism in Jammu and Kashmir to support its recovery post-attack.
Adhikari’s remarks came shortly after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata at the state secretariat. During the meeting, Abdullah thanked Banerjee for sending assistance teams to Poonch and Rajouri following the Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives, including three Bengali tourists: Bitan Adhikari, Sameer Guha, and Manish Ranjan.
Abdullah extended an invitation to Mamata to visit Kashmir, calling it the “Paradise on Earth,” and urged Bengalis to travel to the region to revive its tourism-driven economy.
Accepting the invitation, Mamata announced her plans to visit Kashmir after the Durga Puja festivities in September 2025.
She encouraged Bengalis to travel to the Valley, assuring them of safety under the security arrangements of the central government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration.
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“Everyone should go to Kashmir. There is nothing to be afraid of. The Centre and Omar Abdullah will provide security. I am a fan of Kashmir,” Mamata said.
She also called on the Bengali film industry to shoot in Kashmir and invited Kashmiri artists to participate in West Bengal’s cultural events, emphasizing solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir, whom she described as “brothers and sisters.”
Adhikari, however, struck a discordant note, stating, “No Bengali should go to Kashmir. We should not go where there is a high Muslim population. In the Pahalgam attack, people from Kolkata were killed. Our people were selectively killed there… Go to Himachal, go to Uttarakhand, but don’t go to Kashmir.”
His comments, widely circulated on X, have been condemned for promoting communal division and undermining national unity.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) swiftly condemned Adhikari’s remarks, accusing him of furthering the agenda of terrorists who attacked Pahalgam to cripple Kashmir’s economy. A post from the official TMC X handle stated, “Yesterday, Smt. @MamataOfficial met CM @OmarAbdullahand urged people to visit Jammu & Kashmir. But@BJP4India leaders like @SuvenduWBare openly discouraging people from visiting J&K. The terrorists attacked Pahalgam to paralyse Kashmir’s economy, and Suvendu is handing them [a victory].”
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West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee also criticized Adhikari, accusing him of attempting to “instigate violence” with his remarks. Banerjee noted that Adhikari’s actions, including reportedly burning a Pakistan flag and raising slogans on Hinduism, were divisive and failed to acknowledge that Hindus also reside in Muslim-majority regions like Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Posts on X reflected widespread outrage, with users labeling Adhikari’s statement as “shameful” and “treasonous.” One user, @mukeshbudharwi , called it a “direct attack on India’s unity and integrity,” while
@Deepakkhatri812questioned, “Will you now make tourism about Hindu-Muslim too? How far will this divisive thinking go?”
The Pahalgam attack, carried out by The Resistance Front, a shadow group of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, targeted tourists after identifying their religious identities, killing 25 tourists and a local ponywallah. The attack led to a significant drop in tourism, with mass cancellations and an exodus of visitors from Kashmir, a region heavily reliant on tourism revenue. Mamata’s appeal aimed to counter this economic setback, while Adhikari’s statement has been criticized for exacerbating fear and division. Political analysts view the clash as part of the ongoing rivalry between Mamata and Adhikari, a former TMC leader who joined the BJP in 2020.
