BJP leaders visit Kupwara's Tangdhar, seek special relief for shelling victims

Kupwara (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 24 (ANI): A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders visited Tangdhar in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Saturday to assess damage caused by cross-border shelling and interact with affected residents.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, said the primary demand from residents was the need for adequate compensation for houses that were destroyed.
"A major demand is for those whose homes are fully damaged. The J-K government does not have enough financial resources to support them properly. Under SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund), they are only getting about Rs 1 lakh, which is insufficient," Sharma told the media after the visit.
He said the team's objective was to prepare a comprehensive damage report for submission to the Government of India.
"The main purpose of this team is to prepare a comprehensive report and send it to the Government of India, demanding a special package to fully restore destroyed homes and businesses in border areas," he added.
He also said that the visit was aimed at offering support and boosting morale.
"Besides offering support, we're here to boost people's morale. And one inspiring thing we saw throughout the border areas: while people acknowledge the damage and hardship, they are satisfied with the way the Indian government and military responded to Pakistan," he said.
Sharma stated that residents expressed appreciation for the military's response to recent incidents.
"They feel that for the first time in history, such a strong and fitting reply was given to acts of terror, and this deserves praise. Our military, air force, and other forces have sent a clear message to Pakistan's terror industry: any act of terror will be treated as an act of war," he said.
"But what I do know is this: an act of terror will be treated as an act of war. That much I can say," he added.
Sharma said the BJP delegation had visited several border areas, saying, "We are currently on a visit to Kupwara. Starting from Hiranagar, then Suchetgarh, Arnia, R.S. Pura, Chamb, Pallanwala, Akhnoor, and then through Rajouri, Poonch, and yesterday Uri--we have now reached Tangdhar, staying at the Dak Bungalow in Kupwara," he said.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.
After the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions, following which India launched a coordinated attack and damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres and airfields across 11 airbases in Pakistan.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, 16 people have been killed due to Pakistani shelling, and 59 others have been injured.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said during a press briefing, "The retaliatory action that Pakistan has taken in fact is impacting civilians...There are other civilians who were killed and injured in these attacks. In fact, since yesterday morning, a total of 16 civilians have been killed, and 59 others have been injured in the attacks by Pakistan." (ANI)