Pahalgam terror attack: Political tug of war for photo ops as bodies of residents killed in Kashmir arrive at Kolkata
Relatives breakdown in front of the coffin of Sameer Guha, who lost his life in terrorist attack in Pahalgam recently, near his residence at Shakherbajar in Kolkata | Salil Bera
A heartbroken wife, mourning the horrific loss of her husband, and her three-year-old son, still too young to understand the tragedy that took his father, returned to Kolkata on Wednesday. Instead of a moment of peace, they were met by a swarm of politicians eager for photo ops.
In their rush to be seen, leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties did not seem to care whatsoever for any sense of decency or respect for the grieving family.
Bitan Adhikari, a 40-year-old resident of Kolkata’s Patuli, was working in Florida as an IT employee. He was among the 28 killed in Tuesday’s militant attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. He, his wife Sohini, and their son Hridan had returned to Kolkata on April 8 and left for a Kashmir vacation on April 16.
As his coffin, along with his grieving wife and son, arrived at the Kolkata airport, a flurry of activities followed. Leaders from across the political spectrum, including ministers, MLAs, and municipal officials, gathered in what turned into a spectacle. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and West Bengal minister Aroop Biswas were present to offer tributes.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari held the young child and called him a “Hindu martyr”. “They are killing Hindus in Hindustan. Gaza is finished. Israel has finished it. We will also finish them. We are Modi’s followers,” Adhikari was seen saying to Bitan Adhikari’s wife. “Forget politics, he was killed only because he was a Hindu.”
Adhikari was joined by other senior BJP leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya, Lok Sabha MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Agnimitra Pal and Rudrani Ghosh. As soon as the LoP reached the airport, a crowd had gathered outside the cargo gate. On being removed by security personnel, they returned with the national flag.
Later, at the Bitan’s residence, Minister Aroop Biswas was seen caring for the child. Trinamool MP Mala Roy, local councillor Sudip Polley, and party workers were also present, as were BJP leaders Indranil Khan and Anupam Bhattacharya.
Alongside Bitan’s coffin, the body of Samir Guha, another Kolkata resident killed in the tragic Pahalgam attack, also arrived. A government employee, Samir had travelled to Kashmir with his wife and daughter, who returned with his body. He was paid last respects at the airport before being taken home for the last rites.
India