Rattan Lal slams Suvendu Adhikari’s Divisive Statement on Kashmir
Says BJP playing dangerous politics of hatred
12/07/2025
Jammu, July 12 (KIP)-Advocate Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), strongly condemned the provocative and communally charged remarks that no Bangali should visit Muslim majority Kashmir valley made by the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, terming them as an extension of the BJP’s deeply divisive and dangerous politics.
In a press statement issued here today, the Senior NC leader said that Adhikari’s appeal to Bengalis not to visit Muslim-majority areas of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly Kashmir Valley, is not only appalling but also reflects the BJP’s persistent agenda of sowing communal discord. “Such statements are not only a direct assault on the idea of India but also an insult to the composite culture and pluralistic ethos of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Rattan Lal questioned the hypocrisy of the BJP leadership. “On one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are making public appeals asking people from across the country to visit Kashmir and experience its unmatched beauty and hospitality. On the other hand, their own party leader is poisoning the minds of people by invoking communal narratives and asking them to stay away from Muslim-majority regions,” he pointed out.
The senior NC leader said that the people of Kashmir, regardless of their religion, have always welcomed tourists with open arms. “Reducing the Valley to a religious demographic to incite fear and hatred is not only factually wrong but also highly irresponsible. Such rhetoric has the potential to damage the national fabric and cause deep fissures in society,” he asserted.
Calling BJP’s approach a “politics of polarisation”, the senior NC leader said that the party thrives on Hindu-Muslim divisions and thrives by creating fear among communities. “This kind of politics may win votes in some corners, but it poses a grave danger to the unity and integrity of the nation,” he cautioned.
The Provincial President called upon the people of West Bengal and the entire nation to reject such hate-mongering and instead embrace the spirit of unity, secularism, and mutual respect. Mr Gupta appreciated the decision of Ms. Mamata Banerjee Honble Chief Minister of West Bengal that she will visit Kashmir after Durga Pooja as the Kashmir is peaceful. He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir, both from Jammu and the Valley, want peace, progress, and brotherhood, not the communal poison being spread by the BJP.
He urged the BJP leadership to rein in its leaders and stop weaponizing religion for political gain, especially in sensitive regions like Jammu and Kashmir.