Bengaluru, April 23 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Wednesday that J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has conveyed to him that Kashmir’s economy has collapsed following the Pahalgam terror attack.

“The summer season has just begun, and this is the time when tourists start visiting the region. Tourism is also the biggest source of income for J&K, especially Kashmir. They depend entirely on tourism income. Omar Abdullah told me that this year’s economy has collapsed. He also said that tourism is their main source of livelihood and that they are devastated by this attack,” said the Congress President, addressing a press conference at the Congress Headquarters in Bengaluru.

Kharge also offered his deepest condolences to the families and to all those who have lost loved ones in this tragic incident.

“Let us not forget, it is the Government of India that is administering the region - it is still a Union Territory and not yet a state. Therefore, the responsibility lies even more with the Government of India,” he said.

Kharge said among the killed was Manjunath from Shivamogga, a well-known builder, while Bharat Bhushan from Bengaluru, originally from Haveri, was also killed.

“I spoke to both their wives, Pallavi and Sujata. They told me they are safe for now, but they are grieving and deeply worried about the future,” he said.

The Congress President said that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has deputed the Labour Minister, Santhosh Lad, to the region.

“I spoke to him, and he has met the two bereaved families and is also meeting around 200 tourists from Karnataka who are currently staying in various hotels. After meeting them, he is arranging flights to help them return to Bengaluru or their respective hometowns,” he explained.

Kharge added that he has also requested Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to coordinate with other state governments to assist their citizens.

He said that the Union Home Minister has also promised him that the government would take care of all those affected.

“I spoke to him (Amit Shah) last night at 10:40 pm,” Kharge added.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress President said he was abroad. “We stand united, and this is not the time to debate who was present or not.”

On the security lapse, he said: “I am not here to identify loopholes. These issues can be addressed tomorrow when the all-party meeting is held. At this moment, we are in a state of shock. We want to address the immediate grievances. The security failures can be discussed at an appropriate time.”

Kharge also informed that the Congress Working Committee will meet on Thursday at the AICC office in New Delhi to discuss the issue.

At least 26 tourists were killed on Tuesday after gunmen opened fire on innocent civilians in Baisaran in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to eyewitness accounts, a group of heavily armed terrorists emerged from the nearby forests and opened indiscriminate fire on civilians, most of whom were tourists.

Baisran is a small meadow three to four km from the Pahalgam market, and tourists take horses to reach the place as there is no motorable road to it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday morning after cutting his Saudi Arabia trip short due to the terror attack.

He had a brief meeting with NSA Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the airport. PM Modi strongly condemned the terror attack on Tuesday, stating that the guilty will be brought to justice and reaffirming India’s “unshakable” resolve to fight terrorism.