Pahalgam attack: I don't think terrorists asked religion, says Karnataka Minister

Bengaluru, April 27 (IANS) Karnataka Excise Minister R. B. Timmapur on Sunday stirred a controversy by saying that he does not think that the terrorists, who shot dead tourists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, would have asked the victims about their religion before killing them.

Speaking to reporters, the Minister claimed that he was of the view that the terrorists would not have asked tourists their religion while shooting them.

Arguing for his claim, the minister said, "A terrorist who is shooting, how can he ask religion or caste? He will just kill people and leave."

"One has to think practically. The terrorists can't stand there, question the religion of the victim and then shoot," he said.

The Minister said the country is disturbed over the brutal terror attack, and a "conspiracy is hatched to give the whole incident a communal colour".

"Even if the terrorists have asked about the religion, there should not be a mad attempt to politicise the issue and give it a communal twist, Minister Timmapur claimed.

However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who spoke about "intelligence failure" and later landed in controversy after making a "no war with Pakistan" remark, on Sunday said that war should be waged only when unavoidable.

"Pakistan today is a bankrupt, ailing nation. They have nothing to lose. Therefore, as a rising global power, India must tread cautiously," he further emphasised.

After the Pakistan media raked up the comments of Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka BJP slammed the CM, saying that the former was behaving like a "puppet of the enemy nation".

In a post on X, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly R. Ashoka shared the video of a Pakistani news channel airing CM Siddaramaiah's statement.

Calling Siddaramaiah 'Pakistan Ratna', Ashoka wrote on X, "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, You have become world famous in Pakistan overnight due to your childish and absurd statements."

--IANS

mka/svn