Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Apr 24: B.Y.?Vijayendra, Karnataka BJP chief, sharply criticized Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for referring to the Pahalgam victims merely as “Indian tourists” without acknowledging their Hindu identity. Speaking in Bengaluru after paying tribute to slain Kannadiga Bharat Bhushan, Vijayendra urged all Indians to “rise above politics” and unite against terror.

“Now is not the time for partisan bickering,” he declared. “We must send a clear message: India stands as one.” He faulted leaders—including Kharge, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Minister Priyank Kharge—for careful phrasing that, he argued, downplays the religiously motivated nature of the attack.

Vijayendra accused the terrorists of singling out Hindus before opening fire and lamented that some politicians refuse to name them as such. He challenged Siddaramaiah to question his party’s own legacy on counterterrorism, reminding him that the Congress governed India for over six decades yet failed to eradicate terror.

Highlighting Prime Minister Modi’s global anti terror campaign, he praised recent central measures—such as revoking Article?370—for restoring normalcy and boosting J&K tourism. “Terror outfits attacked to scare away visitors and keep local youth unemployed and vulnerable to radicalization,” he warned.

Concluding, Vijayendra reiterated that terrorism is “a menace without borders” and called on every citizen, irrespective of creed or party, to stand firm in defense of India’s unity and integrity.