'Who tried to spread fear have failed,' says Farooq Abdullah; meets tourists in Pahalgam

New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) J&K National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Saturday visited Kashmir’s Pahalgam and interacted with tourists and expressed solidarity with the victims, who fell to terror bullets on April 22, which saw the death of 26 people, mostly civilians.

“I came here (Pahalgam) and felt very happy. When I saw that people have come from Maharashtra as well, and after what happened (terror attack), they all told me they are not afraid. They said, ‘We have come to stand with our fellow citizens.’ I also spoke to their children, even the youngest ones, and they said, ‘We are not afraid.’ They want to show those who committed this act that we are not scared of them. This is a very powerful message,” the NC president told IANS, who was accompanied by party leaders and local representatives.

Slamming “divisive rhetoric” by some channels, the NC chief added that some of the TV channels spread hatred instead of promoting brotherhood; they try to divide rather than unite.

“They are also responsible. They must look towards India’s collective spirit; if India rises, everyone will rise, regardless of language or region. I appeal to the negative channels: stop this nonsense, or you’ll perish. The nation will move forward, progress will continue, and such divisiveness will be wiped out,” said the senior Abdullah.

The three-time J&K Chief Minister also visited the family of Adil Hussain Shah, a pony handler who was among those killed in the attack.

While assuring the bereaved family of full support, the former union minister said: “I believe that we must fulfil everything they wished for. Whatever their desires were, whatever their son wanted to achieve, we must carry them forward. There is no one we fear; we fear only Allah, and we pray to Allah for the strength to move ahead.”

NC MLA Altaf Ahmad Wani also extended financial support to Shah’s family by donating a cheque from his basic salary.

The April 22 attack, carried out by terrorists, has triggered national outrage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first reaction, said the terrorists, their handlers, and backers would be “hunted down to the ends of the earth.”

The Prime Minister has granted full operational freedom to security forces to avenge the killings.

In a stern response to terror infrastructure, security forces have intensified operations, including the demolition of properties belonging to known terrorists.

Last Friday, two houses of LeT terrorists, Adil Hussain Thokar and Asif Sheikh, were demolished.

--IANS

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