Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited Jammu and Kashmir on Friday (April 25), marking his first visit to the region since the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam earlier this week that claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

During his visit, Gandhi met with the injured victims receiving treatment at a hospital in Srinagar and expressed solidarity with the affected families.

Addressing the media, Gandhi emphasized the need for unity in the face of terror, stating that the attack was aimed at sowing discord among Indians.

“It has been a terrible tragedy. I came here to gain a sense of what’s going on and to help. The entire population of Jammu and Kashmir has condemned this terrible action and has fully supported the nation at this time. I met one of the people who is injured. My love and affection to everybody who has lost their family members. The entire nation is standing united. We had a meeting yesterday with the government," news agency ANI quoted Gandhi as saying.

“We are ready to support whatever action the government wants to take. The idea behind the attack is to divide the society. It is very important that every Indian stands united so that we can defeat what the terrorists wanted to do,” he further said.
He condemned any attempts to scapegoat Kashmiris or stoke communal tensions elsewhere in the country.

“It is sad to see that some people are attacking my brothers and sisters from Kashmir and the rest of the country, and I think it’s very important that all of us stand together, stand united and fight this nasty action that has been taken and defeat terrorism once and for all,” he added.

During the visit, Gandhi also met with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to understand the situation on the ground.

“I also met the Chief Minister and the LG, and they briefed me about what had happened, and I assured both of them that my party and I are going to support them fully,” he said.

Referring to the all-party meeting held by the Union government on Thursday, Gandhi noted that the opposition had unequivocally condemned the attack and extended full support to any measures the government deemed necessary.

“Everyone condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The opposition has given full support to the government in taking any action,” he asserted.

Interestingly, while Gandhi met with the chief minister during his visit, Omar Abdullah and members of the National Conference were not present at the all-party meeting, reportedly because no formal communication was sent to them by the Centre.

Gandhi concluded his visit by reiterating the need for unity and compassion, urging the nation to respond to the tragedy not with hate, but with collective resolve to defeat terrorism and preserve communal harmony.