In an unusual rebuttal to an online troll, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asserted that all Kashmiris were not terrorists and said it was his job to ensure peace and tranquillity in all parts of the country.
The assertion by the home minister came in response to a tweet from an "Editor of Make My Trip", a travel portal, which raised questions on his comment that the people of Kashmir had strongly condemned the terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims and that it showed the spirit of Kashmiriyat was very much alive.
Replying to the home minister, Suchi Singh Kalra, who by using a derogatory word, told Singh that no one cared about whether Kashmiriyat was alive or not in Jammu and Kashmir but needed strong action from him against the terrorists responsible for Monday's attack. Singh responded: "Ms Kalra I certainly do. It is absolutely my job to ensure peace and tranquillity in all parts of the country. All Kashmiris are not terrorists." In the Twitter profile, Kalra claimed to be an editor of the "Make My Trip". However, soon Kalra deleted the twitter account.
Earlier, the home minister said he saluted the people of Jammu and Kashmir who had condemned the attack on Amarnath pilgrims and kept the spirit of Kashmiriyat alive.
The attack on Amarnath pilgrims in which seven people were killed was a "cowardly act of terror" but it was heartening to see the whole nation stand united against terrorism, the minister said.
"I am pained at the loss of lives of Amarnath pilgrims.
But I salute the people of Kashmir as all sections of society have condemned the attack," he told reporters here.
Singh also tweeted: "It shows the spirit of Kashmiriyat is very much alive."
Singh described the attack on Amarnath pilgrims as very "unfortunate and painful".
Seven Amarnath pilgrims, including six women, were killed and 19 injured when terrorists attacked a bus in Kashmir's Anantnag district.
The home minister on Tuesday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and ordered enhanced security for pilgrims visiting Amarnath cave shrine. In the meeting, sources said, Singh directed that those terrorists responsible for the attack should be hunt down soon.
Bus carrying Amarnath pilgrims was attacked twice: J&K govt
The bus carrying the Amarnath pilgrims was attacked twice in quick succession by two teams of terrorists, who escaped after spraying bullets from automatic rifles. In a two-page report sent to the Union home ministry, the Jammu and Kashmir government said the bus had a flat tyre at a place called Sangam in Anantnag district while going from Srinagar to Jammu, delaying the entourage by about an hour.
After the bus resumed its onward journey, it came under attack from a group of terrorists at Khanabal around 2017 hours on Monday. Facing the bullets, the driver of the bus, Salim Sheikh, charged past the area but had to face another group of terrorists after crossing just 75 metres. The state government report said the driver again did not stop the bus despite facing the terrorist attack for the second time in quick succession.