Tourist’s video from Kashmir counters hate narrative after Pahalgam attack
Pahalgam, Kashmir: At a time when fear and anger gripped the nation after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a video recorded by a young woman from Maharashtra is going viral reminding India that brotherhood still exists, even in the face of terror.
The video was shared by Pooja Jadhav, a tourist from Beed in Maharashtra, who was visiting Kashmir when militants opened fire on a group of travellers in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley on Tuesday. At least 28 people, including tourists and locals, were killed in the ambush.
But amidst this tragedy, Pooja’s voice is standing out—not in panic, but in calm reassurance.
In her now-viral video, Pooja speaks directly to those watching: “I am a Hindu. And I’ve been in Kashmir since morning. Let me tell you, the Muslims here are with us. They’ve stood beside us, shoulder to shoulder. No one asked me what my religion is. No one threatened us.”
She slammed sections of the media, especially mainstream TV channels, for suggesting that Hindus were being targeted in Kashmir. “The attackers want to scare people away from Kashmir. But the people of Kashmir—Hindu or Muslim—want us here. They are helping us, protecting us.”
Pooja shared how her family back home in Maharashtra panicked after hearing the news and couldn’t reach her on the phone. “Network is a problem here. We had to take a local SIM card. People back home were scared. But our driver, a local brother, told us, ‘We will die before we let anything happen to you.’ This is brotherhood. This is the real India.”
Her words, raw and emotional, have struck a chord with viewers across the country. Many have shared the video, saying it restored their faith in communal harmony.
The attack itself, according to police reports, was carried out by militants believed to be from The Resistance Front, a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba. Tourists from several states and even a few foreign nationals were among the dead. The government has launched a high-level probe, and sketches of suspects have been released. Security has been intensified in and around Pahalgam.
“There is no Hindu-Muslim here. We are all humans,” she says in her video. “Let humanity live. Let us not divide this beautiful land with hate.”
Several Kashmiri locals have also come forward to express their anger against the attackers and sorrow for the loss of innocent lives. “Tourists are our guests. They are like our family. Whoever did this has no religion, no soul,” said Irfan Dar, a pony guide in Pahalgam.
And The Reality Is.....
— তন্ময় l T͞anmoy l (@tanmoyofc) April 23, 2025
Pooja Jadhav, a woman from Maharashtra, visited Kashmir and is Exposing the Agenda of Godi Media.#PahalgamTerroristAttack #PahalgamTerrorAttack pic.twitter.com/omY7XIH6FJ
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Drug peddler's property worth Rs 1 crore attached in Srinagar
Srinagar (PTI): Property worth Rs 1 crore belonging to a notorious drug peddler was on Saturday attached in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, police said.
A double-storey house on eight marlas of land situated at Wantpora Eidgah, belonging to Basit Bilal Dar, a notorious drug peddler, valued at approximately Rs 1 crore, a police spokesperson said.
He said Dar is involved in two cases registered under various sections of the NDPS Act.
During investigation, it was established that the accused had acquired the said property through illicit proceeds generated from drug trafficking activities, the spokesperson said.
Consequently, the property was attached under the provisions of the NDPS Act. The attachment proceedings were conducted in the presence of the two independent witnesses, strictly in accordance with the prescribed legal procedures, he said.
As per the attachment order, the owner has been restrained from selling, leasing, transferring, altering, or creating any third-party interest in the property till further orders, the spokesperson added.
