Shivamogga: The grief-stricken mother of Manjunath Rao, one of the two Kannadigas killed in the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, recalled the last conversation she had with her son before the tragedy unfolded. “We were watching TV yesterday when we got the news. I had asked them not to go there, but they convinced me,” she said, her voice heavy with sorrow. “They called me the day before yesterday and said they were heading to a remote area. We hadn’t heard from them since.”

Manjunath, a resident of Shivamogga, was on a family holiday to Kashmir when terrorists opened fire on tourists in Baisaran Valley. He was reportedly shot while eating panipuri with his wife and son. In a chilling moment, the gunmen allegedly told his family to “go and tell this to Modiji.”

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‘Go tell this to Modi…’: Wife of Karnataka man killed in Pahalgam terror attack recalls horror

Karnataka Minister for Labour Santosh Lad arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday to oversee the return of Manjunath’s mortal remains. Acting swiftly on directives from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the state government has dispatched a team to assist stranded tourists and console affected families.

Bharath Bhushan, another victim from Bengaluru, was also killed in the attack. His wife and three-year-old son survived.

Tourism authorities have issued helpline numbers and urged travel operators and family members to report details of those currently in Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile, Minister Madhu Bangarappa visited Manjunath’s grieving family in Shivamogga, calling the incident “deeply unfortunate” and assuring continued government support.

The mortal remains of both victims are expected to arrive in Karnataka later today, as their communities prepare to bid them a final farewell.