'Not our views': Congress distances itself from leaders making controversial remarks on Pahalgam terror attack

New Delhi: With its leaders’ remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack, including comments on the relationship with Pakistan triggering controversy, the Congress on Monday censured them, saying they spoke for themselves and did not reflect the party's views.

This came as the BJP questioned top leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, asking whether their call for national unity was merely a formality.

Leaders such as Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Minister R B Timmapur, senior MP Shashi Tharoor, senior Maharashtra leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra, senior Kashmiri leader Saifuddin Soz, and former union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, among others, put the party on the back foot with their comments questioning the need for war with Pakistan and the victims' claims about terrorists singling out non-Muslims.

As the party faced criticism for its leaders' statements, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh posted a statement on 'X', saying, "Some Congress leaders have been speaking to the media. They speak for themselves and do not reflect the Congress' views."

He said the CWC met on April 24 and passed a resolution on the brutal terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam, and on April 25, Kharge and Rahul attended the all-party meeting and put forward the party's views.

"There should be absolutely no doubt whatsoever at this most sensitive of times that the CWC (Congress Working Committee) resolution, the views expressed by (party chief) Mallikarjun Kharge and (Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi, and the views of authorised AICC office-bearers alone represent the position of the Congress," he said.

The BJP latched on to the controversial comments by Congress leaders, with senior MP Ravi Shankar Prasad claiming that their remarks were being used by Pakistan to defame India. "Do Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have no control over their party? Or did both of them make pro forma comments while letting others speak as they wished? When the world is with India after the terror strike, be it the US, France, or Saudi Arabia, these leaders are making such shameless and irresponsible remarks."

"It is the height of insensitivity," he said, referring to statements by Wadettiwar and Timmapur questioning the account of some victims who claimed terrorists identified non-Muslims before shooting them dead.

As the BJP mounted an attack, Siddaramaiah clarified that he did not say there should not be war with Pakistan, and what he meant was that there should not be a war immediately. Timmapur had said it was not practical for a terrorist to ask for a victim's religion before shooting and that a survivor "might have lost a bit of control". Similar remarks were made by Wadettiwar.

However, Tharoor received praise from the BJP for his comments that there is no foolproof intelligence and one should not needlessly highlight it, though his party has raised security lapses that led to the attack. Aiyar had said that the Pahalgam attack was due to unresolved issues related to Partition.

Karra had also raised questions about going to war with Pakistan, while Soz said one should accept if Pakistan claims it is not involved until the investigation is complete.