Blunder or satire? Jharkhand Minister trolled for blaming Himachal CM for Pahalgam attack

RANCHI: Jharkhand Urban Development Minister Sudivya Kumar has landed in controversy after a recent statement he made about the Pahalgam terror attack went viral on social media, drawing widespread ridicule and criticism.

Reacting to the deadly terrorist strike in Pahalgam, Kumar bizarrely demanded the resignation of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu—despite the attack having no connection to the hill state. The incident, which occurred in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, claimed the lives of 27 tourists.

The remark prompted a flood of memes and brutal trolling online. As backlash grew, the minister attempted to clarify on Friday, stating that his comments were intended as sarcasm.

“When no one is being held accountable for such a serious incident, I said — our Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who is a Congress chief minister — should take moral responsibility and resign. It was a taunt,” Kumar explained.

However, his troubles deepened inbetween when he mistakenly referred to Mehbooba Mufti as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir — a position she no longer holds.

Veteran BJP leader and former minister CP Singh slammed Kumar, saying, “He is a serious politician, but he seems to be losing his mental balance by associating with crazy and anti-Hindu leaders like MLA Irfan Ansari. First, he asked the Himachal CM to resign over an attack in Pahalgam, and now he’s calling Mehbooba Mufti the CM of J&K. Will there be another press conference to clear up this mess?”

Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi also slammed the minister in a post on X, saying it was expected that Sudivya Kumar would have acknowledged his mistake after facing widespread criticism for making light of a sensitive terror attack. “But instead, he held a press conference and further exposed his insensitivity and lack of seriousness,” Marandi wrote.

He added that the entire country knows the tourists in Pahalgam were targeted because they were Hindus. “If Sudivya Kumar doesn’t have the courage to speak this truth, he should at least stop embarrassing the people of Jharkhand with such irresponsible statements,” he posted.

On social media, users mocked the minister’s geography and political awareness, with one post joking, “Even Google Maps is confused after Sudivya Kumar’s comments.”