Share your story and shine at JK Monitor!🌟 Welcome to JK Monitor, where every story matters and every achievement is celebrated! We invite you to share the remarkable journey of your life and showcase your accomplishments to the world. Join our exclusive interviews that honor exceptional individuals just like you. SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Saturday strongly condemned the remarks made by BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, who urged the people of Bengal not to visit Kashmir and instead travel to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, or Odisha.
In a statement, the National Convenor of the Association, Nasir Khuehami, described Adhikari’s comments as deeply divisive, dangerous, and shameful, saying they amount to a direct assault on the idea of India, its secular ethos, and the constitutional principles that bind the nation together.
“We are not outsiders. We are not to be boycotted. Such divisive hate speech, aimed at isolating Kashmir because of its religious demography, is not only unconstitutional, it is inhuman. It seeks to economically strangle an entire population already struggling under the weight of conflict, terrorism, and instability,” Khuehami said.
These remarks came just hours after the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir visited West Bengal for a Tourism Fair and met with the Chief Minister of Bengal to promote tourism and extend a hand of friendship and partnership. During the visit, the J&K Chief Minister reassured the people of Bengal that “the people of Kashmir are always at the service of our tourists.”
Khuehami emphasized that Adhikari’s comments could undo vital efforts to restore tourist confidence, especially in the wake of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, which tragically claimed the lives of several tourists from Bengal. “Rather than standing united in grief and resilience, Adhikari has chosen to deepen divides. By discouraging Bengalis from visiting Kashmir, he is not just attacking Kashmir, he is insulting the people of West Bengal, assuming they share his toxic worldview,” the statement said.
“Bengal has always stood for pluralism, for poetry over poison, for bridges over barriers. It is deeply unfortunate that Leader of Opposition is now sowing seeds of hatred and communal tension, especially at a time when Chief Ministers like Omar Abdullah and Mamata Banerjee are working together to promote healing, tourism, and national unity.”
The Association also warned that such inflammatory rhetoric could provoke communal tension across India and endanger the lives of hundreds of Kashmiri students and shawl vendors working in Bengal. “One irresponsible political statement can incite hatred and hostility, putting real lives at risk,” the statement noted.
Khuehami accused Adhikari of indirectly aiding anti-national agendas. “By calling for a boycott of Kashmir, Suvendu Adhikari is not just spewing Islamophobia, he is helping Pakistan. He is doing exactly what anti-India forces want; dividing us from within, pitting one Indian against another, and treating Kashmiris as lesser citizens,” he added.
The Association stressed that tourism is the lifeline of thousands of Kashmiri families, Muslims, Pandits, Sikhs, and others alike and attacking it is nothing short of an attempt to crush livelihoods, sow alienation, and tear the social fabric of the nation apart. “We are as Indian as anyone else, and we bleed when we are excluded. Kashmir welcomes all with open arms.”
The Association urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to act immediately by registering an FIR against Suvendu Adhikari for hate speech, incitement, and promoting enmity between communities. It also highlighted the longstanding cultural ties and harmony between Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal, built over decades. “Hundreds of Bengali workers earn their livelihoods in Kashmir, and several students from West Bengal are studying in institutions like NIT Srinagar and other universities. Suvendu Adhikari’s hate-filled remarks threaten to destroy this bond of mutual trust, respect, and shared history. His words don’t just endanger tourism, they risk unraveling a people-to-people connection rooted in coexistence and compassion.
It also urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command to immediately expel Adhikari from the party for his divisive and inflammatory remarks that go against the spirit of national unity and constitutional values. Kashmir is not a pariah. Kashmir is India. And no amount of communal venom can erase our place in this union,” the statement added.