Visakhapatnam: It is very clear that the Hindus are being targeted as Kashmiri Pandits and there is a need to take stringent action against the heinous attack that occurred at Pahalgam, emphasised Deputy Chief Minister Paway Kalyan.

After paying tributes to the mortal remains of JS Chandra Mouli, who died in the horrific terror attack, in Visakhapatnam on Thursday, Pawan Kalyan expressed deep sadness over the incident. “The issue has been brewing in Kashmir for long. Back then, we did several film shootings in the picturesque region. Those were challenging times. Kashmir Pandits used to confess that it was difficult to be a Hindu in Kashmir,” the Deputy CM recalled.

Both the family members of S Madhusudhan from Kavali and Chandra Mouli from Visakhapatnam stated that the attackers asked the men whether they were Muslims or not before attacking them, the Deputy CM shared.

About the tourists, Pawan Kalyan said, those who went for a vacation were pushed to a helpless situation. “The killings unfolded before the children’s eyes. It was an extremely disturbing incident to listen to the family members of the terror victims. There is a need to put an end to the terrorism,” Pawan Kalyan underlined.

Calling for a united battle against terror attack, the Deputy Chief Minister said that it was very clear that the Hindus were targeted in the Pahalgam attack. The terror attack was so horrific that some lost part of their skull, he said, underlining that the onus to fight terrorism rests on all the citizens of the nation. “For certain, the terrorists who did the heinous crime would be traced by the Centre and punishment would be accorded to them.

Apparently, it is a targeted Hindu killing and there is nothing to sugar-coat it. Earlier, the killings were against Kashmiri Pandits and now it is against the Hindus,” Pawan Kalyan expressed concern.

Any anti-national statements, or any hurtful comments made against the country’s integrity and sovereignty needs to be treated seriously on social media platforms, the Deputy CM said and instructed the Home Minister V. Anitha to keep a tight cap on it. “The Centre will take all the measures to ensure such heinous attacks do not repeat in future. Accompanied by Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha and District in-charge Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjineya Swamy, Visakhapatnam MP M Sribharat, MLA Vamsi Krishna Srinivas Yadav, the Deputy CM empathised with the bereaved family members of Mouli, a retired bank employee, and consoled them at their residence located at Pandurangapuram.