Karnataka’s Excise Minister, R. B. Timmapur, stated that he does not believe the militants responsible for the tragic shooting of tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam would have questioned their victims’ religion before carrying out the attack.
Speaking to the Hindu, Minister Timmapur insisted that terrorists, in the midst of such an attack, would not have asked the victims about their religion before opening fire. “A terrorist who is shooting, how can he ask religion or caste? He will just kill people and leave,” the Minister explained.
He added, “One has to think practically. The terrorists can’t stand there, question the religion of the victim, and then shoot.” Timmapur also expressed concern that a conspiracy was being orchestrated to give the tragic event a communal angle.
Though the details of the attack remain unclear, the Minister emphasized that even if the terrorists did inquire about the victims’ religion, efforts to politicize the issue by giving it a communal twist should be avoided. He stressed that this was not the right time for such divisive narratives.
Meanwhile, Karnataka’s Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, who had previously raised concerns about “intelligence failure,” also stirred controversy with his remarks on the necessity of war. On Sunday, he noted that war should only be pursued when absolutely unavoidable. “Pakistan today is a bankrupt, ailing nation. They have nothing to lose. Therefore, as a rising global power, India must tread cautiously,” Siddaramaiah said.
In response to these comments, the Karnataka BJP condemned Siddaramaiah’s statement, accusing him of behaving like a “puppet of the enemy nation.”
