West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s appeal to revive tourism in Kashmir following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack has ignited a political row, with Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari making controversial communal comments that have drawn sharp criticism.
The development comes after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat in Kolkata on Thursday and invited her to the Valley, famously known as Paradise on Earth. Abdullah also expressed gratitude for Bengal’s support to victims of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, in which 25 tourists were killed, including three from Bengal — Bitan Adhikari, Sameer Guha, and Manish Ranjan.
Accepting the invitation, Mamata Banerjee said she plans to visit Kashmir after Durga Puja in September, and urged the people of Bengal to do the same, emphasizing that Kashmir is safe and that the Centre, along with the J&K government, would provide adequate security.
“Everyone should go to Kashmir. I will go after Durga Puja. There is nothing to be afraid of,” Mamata said. “I am a fan of Kashmir,” she added, encouraging the Bengali film industry to consider Kashmir for film shoots and inviting Kashmiri artists to participate in cultural events in Bengal.
However, Mamata’s outreach was met with a controversial response from BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who alleged that Bengalis were “selectively killed” in the Pahalgam attack and advised against traveling to Muslim-majority areas.
“No Bengali should go to Kashmir,” Adhikari declared. “We should not go where there is a high Muslim population… Our people were selectively killed. Go to Himachal Pradesh or Uttarakhand, but don’t go to Kashmir.”
His remarks have been widely condemned by civil society members, opposition leaders, and social media users, who called them divisive and communal in nature, especially at a time when national unity and empathy are needed.
The Kashmir tourism sector, a key driver of its economy, has faced a sharp downturn since the April terror attack, with a wave of cancellations and drop in new bookings. Mamata Banerjee’s appeal was seen as an effort to instill confidence among domestic tourists and support the revival of the region’s economy.
Omar Abdullah, in his Kolkata visit, underlined the importance of solidarity across states during times of crisis and expressed his commitment to ensuring tourist safety.
While Mamata’s statements aimed to build interstate trust and cultural exchange, Suvendu Adhikari’s reaction risks polarizing public sentiment. Political observers warn that such rhetoric could undermine national integration efforts and fuel stereotypes.
TMC leaders hit back, saying Adhikari’s words were “unbecoming of a public representative” and “deeply irresponsible at a time when people need reassurance, not fear-mongering.”
With Durga Puja nearing and travel trends expected to pick up, the coming weeks will reveal whether Bengalis embrace Mamata’s call for Kashmir solidarity, or whether Adhikari’s polarizing message gains traction.
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