“Erase Pakistan from the map”: West Champaran protest erupts after Pahalgam massacre

Anger against Pakistan spilled onto the streets of Bettiah in West Champaran as workers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal staged a fierce protest on Friday over the brutal killing of 28 people in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The demonstration, held at Sovababu Chowk, saw the effigy of the Pakistani government and the national flag of Pakistan being set ablaze.

Shouting fiery slogans condemning the massacre, protesters accused Pakistan of harboring terrorism and called for direct military retaliation. The VHP’s district president, Raman Gupta, voiced the crowd’s sentiments loud and clear: “We didn’t vote Modi ji to power just for ration and free treatment. We want our enemies answered in their own language.”

Gupta alleged that the victims in Kashmir were deliberately targeted after being identified by their religion, and demanded that the Indian government take drastic steps in response. “Enter Pakistan and wipe its name off the world map. The entire country is ready to stand behind you,” he declared.

Neeraj Soni, another VHP convener present at the protest, echoed similar views, stressing that such targeted killings cannot go unanswered. The protest also saw emotional appeals for justice and national pride, with chants of “Hindustan Zindabad” and “Pakistan Murdabad” ringing through the air.

The demonstration reflects the boiling anger in several parts of the country in response to what is widely viewed as one of the most gruesome terror attacks on civilians in recent years. The central government has so far announced a series of diplomatic and strategic retaliatory measures.