Dharamshala, 5 May 2025 (Arvind Sharma)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged widespread protests across all 17 organizational districts of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, condemning the brutal killing of 27 Hindu tourists in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The demonstrations, marked by public outrage and symbolic marches, were organized to demand strict retaliatory action against Pakistan-backed terrorism.
Addressing the media after submitting a memorandum to the District Magistrate in Dharamshala, BJP State General Secretary Trilok Kapoor said the party strongly denounced the “barbaric and cowardly” attack by cross-border terrorists. “The sacrifice of our innocent citizens will not go in vain. Every drop of their blood will be avenged,” he declared.
Kapoor announced that the central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had responded firmly by canceling all Indian visas issued to Pakistani citizens. “No Pakistani will now be allowed to enter India, and those currently residing in the country have been ordered to leave within 48 hours,” he said.
He criticized the Congress-led Sukhu government in Himachal Pradesh for not initiating similar action within the state. “The state government has neither identified nor asked the Pakistanis living here to leave. Shockingly, they do not even have data on how many Pakistanis are residing in Himachal. Immediate action is needed,” Kapoor demanded.
Several prominent BJP leaders including former minister Sarveen Chaudhary, former MLA Arun Mehra, state spokesperson Rakesh Sharma, district president Sachin Sharma, state media co-incharge Vishwa Chakshu, Chandrabhushan Nag, and district general secretary Devendra Kohli joined the protest in Dharamshala.
In a parallel demonstration held in Nurpur, former Assembly Speaker and BJP Kangra-Chamba in-charge Vipin Singh Parmar led a massive protest march. A memorandum was submitted to SDM Nurpur demanding swift identification and deportation of Pakistani citizens living in the state.
Speaking at the gathering, Parmar said, “This attack is not just on tourists; it is an attack on the soul of India. The time for condemnation is over—decisive and retaliatory action is the need of the hour.” He praised the Modi government for taking strong diplomatic steps, including convening an all-party meeting to present a united front against terrorism.
He further alleged that while other states have begun identifying and expelling Pakistani nationals, the Himachal Pradesh government remains passive. “There has been no investigation, no action—just silence,” Parmar charged.
Prominent leaders including former MLA Rita Dhiman, BJP leaders Sanjay Guleria and Baldev Thakur, District President Rajesh Kaka, Mandal presidents, and hundreds of BJP workers participated in the Nurpur protest.
