Bengaluru, April 24 (IANS) Denouncing the Pahalgam terror attack, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, R. Ashoka, on Thursday said terrorism is embedded in Pakistan’s DNA and will end only with its disintegration.
Speaking to reporters after paying tributes to Bharat Bhushan, who was shot dead by terrorists in Pahalgam, Ashoka said, “The terrorists have one goal – to spread fear and make money. They derive sadistic pleasure from it – it is part of their culture. Terrorism is embedded in the DNA of Pakistan and will end with the disintegration of Pakistan. Until then, it will continue.”
Expressing his outrage, Ashoka said, “Only Hindus were targeted. The terrorists specifically asked if the victims were Hindus. The entire country needs to understand this. As things stand, there is no guarantee that our children and families will have a peaceful life.”
Ashoka said he was in Bengaluru to attend the last rites of Bharat Bhushan.
Sharing the sequence of heartbreaking events, the BJP leader said: “Bharat Bhushan pleaded to the terrorists, saying that he had a three-year-old child and asked them to spare him for the sake of his son. Despite this, they shot him in the head.”
“When Bharat collapsed, the child asked his mother why she wasn’t doing anything while blood poured from his father’s head. I cannot even imagine it. The wife holding her child beside the bleeding body of her husband is haunting,” he said.
Ashoka added, “When you see the child and the mother, when you hear them speak, it would melt even a heart of stone. As a nation, we must unite to face such terrorist threats in the future. I sat with Bharat Bhushan’s family for 30 minutes. Their account of events was heartbreaking.”
The leader shared: “When Bharat Bhushan informed his parents about his Kashmir trip, his mother asked why he had chosen to go there. Bharat responded by asking in which era she was living. He told her the days of violence were over and that Kashmir was now peaceful. He comforted her and left for the trip.”
“I’ve spoken to the concerned commissioner about naming a park in the locality after Bharat Bhushan. The residents are demanding that the unnamed park near his house be named in his memory. A request letter has already been submitted. Both the local MP and MLA have agreed to the proposal,” he said.
“I pray to god to give his family the strength to cope with this tragedy,” he added.
–IANS
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