Pahalgam attacks: Robert Vadra's comments create furore; BJP accuses him of using language of terrorists

Vadra had clarified that it was his personal view and that he was not speaking on behalf of the Congress party or his family.

New Delhi: Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law and businessman Robert Vadra on Wednesday triggered a row by suggesting that non-Muslims were attacked in Pahalgam as terrorists feel Muslims are being "mistreated" in the country, with the BJP accusing him of using the language of terrorists and demanding that he apologise.

Vadra condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack and said that whenever there are communal issues and people feel vulnerable, there is division in the country and neighbouring countries benefit from it.

He said it is time to separate politics and religion, and political parties should introspect.

"When this terrorist act took place, they (terrorists) were looking at IDs, people who were non-Muslims were attacked and messages were given to the prime minister. Why is this happening? Because, they are feeling that Muslims are being mistreated in our country," Vadra said.

He, however, clarified that it was his personal view and he was not speaking on behalf of the Congress party or his family.

"As is said terrorism does not look at any kind of religion. But .. I feel that whenever in a country there are communal issues, people feel vulnerable. There is a division and we see that in our country.

"I see that the minorities are sidelined. When they are praying, they are not allowed to do so on their roofs. If they are in abundance praying on a Thursday or Friday and there is a spillover on the road, they are stopped... there are surveys of mosques," he told PTI videos.

Vadra said he was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate when he last spoke for minorities but he will continue to raise his voice whenever any wrong happens.

"Why is it that one religion can celebrate their Gods and beliefs on the roads and we all have to adhere to them and when the Muslims are praying for their Gods, they are stopped?

"If we are not united, we are going to be vulnerable and any bordering country will take advantage of this," Vadra, who is the husband of Congress' Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, said.

"It is time we need to unite and we need to separate politics and religion. Religion-based politics will always cause division and separation and no progress. The political parties need to introspect. When I say this, these are my thoughts and it is not the thought of the Congress party or my family," he added.

The BJP condemned Vadra’s remarks, accusing him of speaking the language of the terrorists and justifying their barbaric actions.

Congress party should clarify if its assertion that it is with the government on the issue is nothing but double standards, the BJP said and accused Vadra of playing politics on the issue.

"Robert Vadra’s remarks are completely condemnable," BJP national spokesperson Nalin Kohli told PTI.

"This is the same language that terrorists always use to justify their terrorism. It’s clear from Robert Vadra’s remarks that he wants to do politics on such a gruesome terror attack when the entire country is united against it," Kohli said, demanding an apology from Vadra.

"On the one hand Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) says the party is with the government while on the hand Nehru-Gandhi family member Robert Vadra says there is a need to go behind its (terror attack’s) root cause,” he said.

The BJP spokesperson said Vadra’s remarks raise questions about whether the party is playing the politics of double standards.

"What kind of justice is he seeking for the victims who the terrorists had shot dead after asking about their religion. The Congress should immediately issue a clarification. Robert Vadra should apologise,” he said.

Kohli said Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to Delhi after the terror attack, while holding meetings right from the airport itself, and Home Minister Amit Shah went to Kashmir to take stock of the situation on the ground.

BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said Vadra's remarks were shocking.

He "shamelessly defends an act of terror, offering cover to the terrorists instead of condemning them," Malviya said on X.

Vadra said he would be personally visiting the family of the victim who hailed from Karnal.

He also said the forces "are very strong and they will definitely look into it and will give a reply to Pakistan that we will not take this".

"We have to really unite together and stand together and that's when we will not be vulnerable from any attacks," he said, demanding that the Centre support the people of Jammu and Kashmir with jobs as they would suffer in the aftermath of this terrorist attack.

People who were earning a living through tourism will not be able to do so and the central government has to help these people. It is not because of them that this terrorist act has happened, he said.

"We have to help the people of Jammu and Kashmir through the central government and give them jobs," Vadra stressed.

Terrorists struck in Baisaran, near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, killing at least 26 persons, mostly tourists, and injuring several others.