Amsterdam: The firebrand anti-Islam Dutch leader Geert Wilders reacted to the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, where nine people were killed and 41 others were injured, telling India to not allow "Pakistani terrorists" to enter Kashmir and kill Hindus. Terrorists opened fire at the 53-seater bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi on Sunday.
Terrorists opened fire at the bus while it was en route from Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra near Teryath village in the Poni area. The bus plunged into a deep gorge following the gunfire. Security forces have launched a massive manhunt for three foreign terrorists, possibly of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, responsible for the deadly attack.
"Don’t allow Pakistani terrorists in the Kashmir Valley killing Hindus. Protect your people India!" said Wilders on X. The Dutch leader has repeatedly highlighted the issue of terrorism in Pakistan and the plight of Hindus in both Muslim-majority Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed him to constantly monitor the situation and ensure all possible help to the affected families. The Lieutenant Governor said that security forces have launched a joint operation to hunt down the terrorists and those behind the attack will be punished soon.
The terror attack was condemned from all corners of the nation, including politicians and eminent film personalities. Several organisations, including the Congress, on Monday held protests in the Jammu region and people demanded that an all-out operation be carried out in the region to clear it of terrorists.
Wilders strikes coalition, unlikely to become Dutch PM
Wilders has been called the 'Donald Trump of Netherlands' for his populist policies, fiery tongue and blonde hair. Widely known for his anti-Islam stance, Wilders has described Islam as a "fascist ideology" and even called for banning the Quran and shutting mosques in the Netherlands. He has received countless death threats and received round-the-clock police protection.
Wilders also supported the suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma for her infamous 'Prophet Mohammad' remark that triggered outrage among Muslims. "Nupur Sharma is a hero who spoke nothing but the truth. The whole world should be proud of her. She deserves the Nobel Prize. And India is a Hindu nation, the Indian government is obliged to strongly defend Hindus against Islamic hate and violence," he said on X, then known as Twitter.
Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) reached a coalition deal last month with three other party leaders on Thursday to form the next government in the Netherlands after his shock triumph in the elections was nullified by his failure to receive the support of all three parties to form a coalition. Wilders has already acknowledged that he would not be able to succeed Mark Rutte as PM after long delays in reaching a coalition deal.
Campaigning on a populist, anti-immigration platform, Wilders' Party for Freedom won 37 seats in the 150-seat lower house of the Dutch parliament. The four parties in government talks hold a combined 88 seats, giving them a comfortable majority.
Meanwhile, as the results of the European Parliament elections are underway, Wilders’ far-right party was second behind a Left-Green alliance, making big gains but touted to fall back in second place. The Freedom party took 17 per cent of the vote, while the Left-Green alliance, led by the former EU Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans, was 21.1 per cent, according to the Guardian. Far-right parties have dominated the EU elections in several countries.
(with inputs from agencies)
