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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Delhi HC dismisses IPL team RCB's plea against Uber Moto's YouTube advertisement
New Delhi, May 5 (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea by Indian Premier League cricket team Royal Challengers Bengaluru against a YouTube advertisement of Uber Moto featuring Sunrisers Hyderabad's cricketer Travis Head, saying no prima facie case of disparagement or infringement of trademark was made out.
The court opined that the general perception created by holistic viewing of the advertisement is one of healthy banter and good-natured lighthearted humour, as it refused to grant an interim injunction on the advertisement.
The high court said in the advertisement there was "no element of demeaning/ criticism/ condemning/ ridiculing/ defaming/ mocking or falsity" with a view to injure or harm the RCB trademark or RCB cricket team.
Justice Saurabh Banerjee dismissed the application by Royal Challengers Bengaluru, saying it does not call for any interference at this stage.
"All throughout the impugned advertisement, there is no (in)direct imputation/ insinuation/ comparison/ exaggeration/ sensationalism/ distortion of matters of fact of any kind by any of the defendants against the RCB trademark/ RCB cricket team," the court said in its 35-page order.
Royal Challengers Sports Private Limited filed a suit against Uber India Systems Pvt Ltd claiming that Uber Moto's YouTube advertisement titled "Baddies in Bengaluru ft. Travis Head" disparages its trademark.
The court, which passed the order on an interim application by RCB for relief, added the advertisement cannot be said to be false and misleading at this stage and there is no scope of any kind of irreparable harm, loss and injury likely to be caused to the plaintiff due to non-grant of temporary injunction.
The court said there is no prima facie case of disparagement or infringement of trademark made out by the plaintiff in its favour and against the defendants.
"The impugned advertisement is in the context of a game of cricket, a game of sportsmanship, which, in the opinion of this court, does not call for interference of any sort at this stage, especially while this court is considering the present application...
"More so, since in a case like the present one, interference by this court, at this stage, would tantamount to allowing the plaintiff to run on water with assurances of their not falling," Justice Banerjee said.
The court said there is nothing underlying in the advertisement which can trigger or motivate any members of the general public, much less any of the players/ viewers/ followers of any of the RCB or SRH cricket teams at this stage.
"There can be no one-sided impression or one-sided version of the impugned advertisement, particularly, since what according to the plaintiff is ‘right’ can according to the defendants be ‘wrong’, and vice versa.
"The act(s) of disparagement cannot be concluded on the basis of the reviews/ comments/ statements made by few viewers/ followers as there are always two sides of a coin. In any event, the same cannot form or be the benchmark for determining the act of disparagement and/ or infringement... This is not a telltale," the court said.
Earlier, describing the video advertisement, RCB's counsel said the cricketer could be seen running towards Bengaluru cricket stadium with an aim to vandalise the signage of "Bengaluru Vs Hyderabad", takes a spray paint and writes "Royally Challenged" before Bengaluru making it "Royally Challenged Bengaluru" which disparages RCB's mark.
The lawyer contended that when a negative comment is made, there is disparagement and added that Uber Moto, being the commercial sponsor of Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL team, while promoting its product of booking a ride, used RCB's trademark in the course of its trade, that too its "deceptive variant", which was impermissible under law.
The counsel representing Uber said RCB had "severely discounted" the sense of humour of the public at large.
Uber's counsel said good humour, sense of fun and banter are intrinsic to advertising messaging and these factors "will be killed" if such a standard, as mooted by RCB, is applied.
The advertisement, by then, had garnered 1.3 million views and a number of comments from users on the social media platform.
