Day: April 22, 2025

“Please save my husband,” a woman’s bone-chilling wails echoed through the picturesque valley of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam after terrorists opened fire at tourists today. Twenty-six people have died in the attack, sources said. The death count, however, can change as several tourists were rushed to hospitals with serious injuries.

Distressing visuals doing the rounds on social media showed several women pleading for help. “We were having a snack when a man came and shot my husband,” said one of them, as another, with blood splattered on her face, looked helplessly at the man recording the video.

Several injured people were seen on the ground. A visibly shaken child was also seen with the group of tourists who survived the attack.

Updates on the Pahalgam attack here.

Another woman, standing next to a severely injured man, pleaded, “Please save my husband. For god’s sake, save him”.

The heartbreak continues as another cry for help was heard, “Please, someone take him to the hospital. Please, please help.” She was standing next to an injured man with his shirt soaked in blood.

Among the dead was also a tourist from Karnataka. The man, a realtor from Shivamogga district in Karnataka, was allegedly shot dead in front of his wife and son. 

Pahalgam is a prime tourist location in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, calling the perpetrators of the attack “animals”, said the attack was “larger than anything we have seen directed at civilians in recent years”. He also said that arrangements were being made at the hospital for the injured. 

An anti-terror operation has been launched to neutralise terrorists, said Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the government’s resolve to fight terrorism is “unshakable”, held a telephonic conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and asked him to visit the Union Territory and take all suitable steps. Mr Shah will leave for Srinagar shortly.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held an emergency meeting on Tuesday with senior officers in the wake of a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir in which one tourist from Karnataka was killed.

Several other tourists were critically injured in the terror attack.

As per the information till now, one tourist from Karnataka has been shot dead in front of his wife and son. The person who died has been identified as Manjunath Rao, a realtor from Shivamogga district in Karnataka.

He had travelled to Kashmir with his wife Pallavi, a bank manager, and their 18-year-old son Abhi. Both Pallavi and Abhi are safe and currently under the care of the authorities. More information is awaited about other tourists from Karnataka.

A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said, “Upon receiving news that Kannadigas were targeted in a terrorist attack in Kashmir, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah immediately held a meeting with senior officials to gather information.”

After being briefed by the Chief Secretary and senior police officers, the Chief Minister instructed them to take swift action.

Following his directions, a team of officials has left for Kashmir, and police officers have also been dispatched. The Resident Commissioner in Delhi has been instructed to oversee the necessary follow-up actions, the CMO statement added.

Taking to X, CM Siddaramaiah said, “I strongly condemn the heinous terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Kannadigas are among the victims of this shocking incident.

“Upon receiving the news, I convened an emergency meeting and reviewed the situation with the Chief Secretary and senior police officials. I have also spoken to the Resident Commissioner in Delhi.

“Following my directions, two teams – one consisting of senior officers and another of police personnel – have been dispatched to Jammu and Kashmir. An adventure team from the Sports Department, led by Commissioner Chetan, is also en route.”

“We are closely monitoring developments. All necessary support will be extended. Please be assured, the Government of Karnataka stands firmly with those affected,” he added.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism, H.K. Patil, commenting on the incident, stated that he had spoken to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

“We have received preliminary information that 12 people from Karnataka were present at the location. We are verifying the details. We have also received information that one person has died in the terrorist attack,” he said.

“We will do everything possible to support them,” he added.

BJP MP B.Y. Raghavendra, who represents the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency, confirmed that the surviving woman and her son are at a safe location.

“The information has been communicated to the Delhi Resident Commissioner. Our current focus is on bringing Manjunath’s body back to Shivamogga,” he stated.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Devendra Fadnavis government of Maharashtra, days after making Hindi compulsory for primary classes, has backtracked amid strong objections from Opposition parties and Raj Thackeray’s MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena). 

“We have stayed the decision of making Hindi mandatory in the school as per the GR issued earlier in this regard,” Dada Bhuse, the state’s  School Education Minister, said this evening. 

The move comes days after the Maharashtra government’s language consultation committee urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to revoke the decision. 

Amid the stiff resistance, the writing on the wall was clear last week. 
Two days after the government order making Hindi mandatory, Mr Fadnavis had said that only Marathi was compulsory in Maharashtra. 

“Everyone should learn it. Additionally, if you wish to learn other languages, you can do so. If someone opposes Marathi, then it will not be tolerated,” Mr Fadnavis had told reporters, while expressing  surprise about the opposition to Hindi and promotion of English.

The massive resistance to the government move was spoken of in terms of “Hindi imposition” by Raj Thackeray, who had asked Maharashtra to emulate the example of south India, where Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK was spearheading the opposition against Hindi. 

But on April 17, when the government order on mandatory Hindi came, his response was sharper.

“Whatever your trilingual formula is, limit it to government affairs, do not bring it to education,” he said in a statement. The MNS, he added, “will not allow the Central government’s current efforts to ‘Hindi-ify’ everything, to succeed in this state”.

Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar demanded that the state government immediately withdraw the notification, saying forcibly imposing Hindi as a third language “is an injustice to Marathi and an attack on the identity of Marathi speakers”.