Srinagar: A five-member delegation of Trinamool Congress called on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at his residence after arriving here on Wednesday to meet people affected by the recent cross-border shelling near the LoC.
The Indian Army struck nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under its Operation Sindoor in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.
The subsequent retaliation by Pakistan, which included cross-border artillery shelling, killed 27 civilians and injured over 70 people in the Jammu region, particularly the Poonch sector.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation called on Abdullah at his residence at Gupkar here this evening.
Speaking to reporters outside the CM’s residence, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said the delegation from West Bengal have come to Kashmir on “a journey of solidarity, empathy and sympathy”.
“It is the border villages of J&K which have suffered the most. They have suffered due to the shelling from Pakistan. All communities have suffered and the suffering of the border villages, where lives have been lost, where livelihoods have been lost, have been ignored by the mainstream media,” she said.
No one is talking about the suffering of Poonch, Rajouri and the villages next to the Line of Control, Ghose said.
The delegation is likely to visit the areas near the Line of Control (LoC) in the valley.
“We have come to tell the people of these border villages that you are not alone. We are standing with you, we will always stand with you and we will bring your plight to the notice of the mainstream media.
“We will work towards rebuilding your lives, we are here for you and we will always be with you in your hour of need,” she added.
The TMC leader said the visit reflects their commitment to an inclusive India in which every citizen’s needs are taken care of and are attended to.
“The border villages must not be ignored, they must get the attention, the relief and the rehabilitation that they deserve. That is why we are here in a journey of empathy and solidarity,” she said.
