SRINAGAR: Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday urged people to continue visiting Jammu and Kashmir, stressing that the Pahalgam terror attack was an isolated incident and should not deter tourism in the region.
Speaking to reporters during his visit here, Kataria said the recent Delhi blast demonstrated that certain elements are attempting to destabilise the nation.
The terror attack on April 22 in the Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam, carried out by Pakistani terrorists, claimed 26 lives—most of them tourists. In response, the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor in May, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“To assume that incidents like the Pahalgam attack happen frequently is incorrect. It was a one-off event,” Kataria said, adding that people should continue to visit Kashmir as they did before.
Referring to the November 10 car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed 15 people, he said the incident showed the presence of elements bent on creating instability. “But our preparedness has defeated these designs,” he added.
The Delhi blast occurred shortly after authorities busted an interstate “white-collar” terror module and recovered nearly 3,000 kg of explosives, mostly from Faridabad in Haryana.
Kataria said both Punjab and Kashmir have suffered due to their proximity to the border, but the government has taken significant measures to restore normalcy.
During his visit, the governor took a shikara ride on Dal Lake and then headed to Lal Chowk, where he recalled his association with the Tiranga Yatra led by veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi.
“I was part of that yatra but couldn’t reach here at the time. Only a few members, including Murli Manohar Joshi and Narendra Modi ji, who was the organiser of the yatra, were allowed to come,” he said.