Suvendu Adhikari Clashes with Mamata Banerjee Over Kashmir Tourism Appeal, Warns Bengalis Against Visiting Muslim-Majority Regions

Kolkata: West Bengal politics took a sharp communal and emotional turn after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s call for Bengalis to travel to Kashmir was met with fierce resistance from BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. The renewed confrontation follows the recent Pahalgam terror attack that left 25 tourists dead, including three from West Bengal.

Mamata’s remarks came after a high-profile meeting in Kolkata with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who thanked her for dispatching Bengal’s assistance teams to Poonch and Rajouri post the April 22 attack. Abdullah invited Mamata to visit Kashmir, an offer she accepted, promising to go after Durga Puja.

“Everyone should go to Kashmir. I will also go to Kashmir after Durga Puja. There is nothing to fear. The Centre and Omar Abdullah will provide security,” Mamata stated. She also appealed to the Bengali film industry to consider shooting in the scenic valley and encouraged cultural exchanges between Bengal and Kashmir.

The remarks, intended as a gesture of solidarity with Kashmir’s struggling tourism sector, have sparked controversy. Suvendu Adhikari launched a scathing attack, accusing Mamata of risking Bengali lives for optics and politics.

“No Bengali should go to Kashmir,” Adhikari said during a press meet. “In Pahalgam, our people were targeted. We should avoid places with a high Muslim population. Go to Himachal, go to Uttarakhand—but not Kashmir.”