Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghose on Wednesday emphasized that a five-member TMC delegation from West Bengal is visiting Jammu and Kashmir to express “solidarity, empathy, and sympathy” with the people living in border villages affected by recent cross-border violence.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Ghose stated that the purpose of the visit is to convey a message of national unity and support to communities that have borne the brunt of hostilities between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor—India’s military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
“We, a five-member delegation of public representatives from Bengal, have come to Kashmir on a journey of solidarity, empathy, and sympathy. The border villages of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered the most… We have come to tell the people of border villages that they are not alone. Our voyage here reflects our commitment to an inclusive India where every citizen’s needs are cared for and attended to. The border villages must not be ignored. They must get the attention, the relief, and rehabilitation they deserve,” said Ghose.
The delegation includes TMC MPs Derek O’Brien, Md Nadimul Haque, Sagarika Ghose, Mamata Bala Thakur, and West Bengal Minister Manas Ranjan Bhunia. Upon arrival in Srinagar, they met with National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The team is scheduled to visit Srinagar, Poonch, and Rajouri from May 21 to 23, aiming to directly engage with communities impacted by cross-border shelling by Pakistan that followed India’s precision strikes under Operation Sindoor.
Launched on May 7, Operation Sindoor was India’s retaliatory strike targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen were reportedly eliminated.
Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and drone attacks along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border, prompting further Indian strikes that damaged radar installations, airfields, and communication hubs across 11 Pakistani military bases.
On May 10, a mutual understanding of cessation of hostilities was announced between the two countries. Despite the ceasefire, the human cost of the conflict continues to affect residents of border areas—prompting TMC’s outreach.
The TMC delegation’s visit underscores the party’s stance on national integration and its call for greater support and rehabilitation efforts for the affected populations in Jammu and Kashmir.
