New Delhi [India], April 23 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly condemned remarks made by businessman Robert Vadra following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and accused him of using language that aligns with extremist narratives on the behest of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called Vadra's statement "shameful".
"This is the most shameful, atrocious utterance done by the Congress party, Robert Vadra at the behest of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, in a sense to defend the Pakistani terrorists - to give them a clean chit to whitewash this crime of Islamic Jihad and to blame Hindus and to justify the terror...
Poonawalla also drew parallels with past incidents, saying, "After 26/11, they blamed Hindus, after the Pulwama attack, they blamed security forces...,"
Echoing similar sentiments, BJP leader and national spokesperson Nalin Kohli condemned Vadra's remarks as "totally insensitive" to the victims and their families.
"The totally condemnable statement coming from Robert Vadra - what kind of sensitivity towards the victims of this terrorist attack? On the one hand, Prime Minister Modi cut short his foreign visit to Saudi Arabia, returned, and at the airport held a series of meetings. The Home Minister of the country, Amit Shah, rushed to the valley immediately...On one hand, the Congress party National President holds a press conference and says that they are with the government and on the other hand, Mr Vadra who is from the Nehru Gandhi family is coming out with such a statement trying to do only this dirty level politics but at the same time speaking the language that we often here from terrorists..."
Kohli demanded a public apology from Vadra and urged the Congress leadership--Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra--to clarify their stance.
"Mr Vadra must apologise for the statement and the Congress party and the Nehru-Gandhi family, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, they must come clear whether they stand with this statement or not?" said Kohli.
Earlier, while condemning the terror attack, Robert Vadra had said that civilians were selectively targeted and killed after having their identity cards checked "because they think that Muslims are being suppressed" in India.