Srinagar, April 23 — Even as solidarity marches swept across Kashmir Valley—with civil society groups, religious bodies, and ordinary citizens condemning the deadly Pahalgam attack—hate against Kashmiri civilians has taken over social media, where many Indian users are blaming the local population for the assault.
The attack, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), was reportedly in retaliation against what the group alleged to be a state-led ‘demographic shift’, citing the issuance of domicile certificates to over 85,000 non-Kashmiris.
Despite the militant group claiming responsibility, many Indian citizens have directed their anger at Kashmiri civilians, accusing them of either silently supporting or directly sheltering militants.
One Instagram user wrote, “You earn from Indian tourists but when TRF shoots, you stay silent—shame.”
Social media has since been flooded with hashtags calling for the boycott of Kashmiri businesses, with some users tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X, urging him to "shut the internet" and "turn Kashmir into Gaza."
On the ground, however, the stories are different. A local horse rider was reportedly killed while attempting to save tourists, with other viral videos showing Kashmiris carrying injured visitors on their shoulders and rushing them to safety.