Robert Vadra Faces Backlash for Linking Pahalgam Terror Attack to Government Policies:

Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, has been vocal and come under fire for his remarks over the fresh terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam, Jammu, and Kashmir which Vadra describes as ‘sensitive’. Vadra, who sought to draw an analogy between the current political scenario of the country and the recent surge in violence, looks to have further strained political tensions.

Vardhra's comments on the Attack

Vadra, while addressing the media in regard to the incident targeting community-based violence, said that the attempt reflects increasing schism on religious lines in India. Vadra claimed that this division is a result of Hindutva policies under the BJP rule. Vadra underlined how minorities are becoming more and more disillusioned, urging the government to protect their rights and secularism.

Propaganda Backlash and BJP Responds

His statement led to severe criticism from BJP’s end. Vdara has been accused by party spokespersons for succumbing to terrorist propaganda, He was politically uniting the nation. While condemning alongside Nalin Kohli, Tarun Chugh and Shehzad Poonawalla, BJP spokespersons branded the remarks as politically motivated, reckless, dangerous and devoid of sense. BJP leaders went head to head with Vdara and in doing so succumbed to vindicating his statement calling his actions justifying terrorism.

Comparison with Pakistani Rhetoric

The controversy gained greater traction as people pointed out the resemblance between Vadra's comments and what Pakistani Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir had recently said. The general spoke about the two-nation theory and even more about the cultural divide between Hindus and Muslims during one of his speeches in Islamabad. It was wondered if such statements could have played a role in entertaining or radicalizing groups such as The Resistance Front (TRF) to target tourists of a particular faith.