India, April 26 -- NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday stoked a controversy, saying he was not sure if terrorists had confirmed the religious identity of tourists before shooting them to death during the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir on Wednesday. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis retorted sharply, urging the veteran leader to meet the families of the deceased.

Pawar had, in fact, met the families of Pune residents Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote on Thursday and offered his condolences.

While touring Sindhudurg on Friday, he extended full support to the central government in efforts to combat terrorism but back down from pointing out failures.

"We were told that terrorism had ended and there was no need to worry anymore. So we w...