Condemning the recent terrorist shootings in Shopian and Anantnag, Union Minister Anurag Thakur stated that these acts are being committed by individuals who are frustrated by the improving conditions in Jammu and Kashmir. He emphasized, “A few people are causing such incidents because they are discouraged. They should understand that the people of Jammu and Kashmir no longer support separatism, terrorism, or stone-pelting.”
Thakur further asserted that those responsible for these attacks would face severe consequences, noting, “Tourism is increasing day by day, and the morale of many people is going down. Those who indulged in killings in Jammu and Kashmir will be strongly responded to.”
Former Deputy Chief Minister of the erstwhile state, Kavinder Gupta, echoed these sentiments, suggesting the attacks were intended to disrupt the growing tourism sector in the region. Speaking to ANI, Gupta remarked, “There was a record tourist footfall in Kashmir last year, with the number of visitors estimated at 1,70,00,000. Hence, at a time when tourism is looking up and local businesses and livelihoods are booming, the attack was aimed at bringing back the dark days of terror in the region. It was intended to hurt the tourism prospects at a time when there is prosperity all around in Kashmir. I strongly suspect Pakistan to be behind this attack. However, the nefarious designs of people, who carry out terror hits in exchange for money and at the behest of their handlers (across the border) wouldn’t succeed. Their bid to bring back the reign of terror in the Valley will never succeed.”
Meanwhile, a former BJP Sarpanch, Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, was killed, and a couple from Jaipur was injured in two separate terrorist shootings in Shopian and Anantnag districts late Saturday night, according to police reports.
In the second incident, a couple from Jaipur was injured in the Yannar area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The police reported that the terrorists fired upon and injured Farha, a resident of Jaipur, and her spouse, Tabrez, in Yannar, Anantnag. The injured were evacuated to the hospital for treatment, and sources indicate that the couple’s condition is stable.W