The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday latched on to a string of controversial remarks made by Congress leaders on the Pahalgam terror attack to hit out at the opposition party, which directed its members to either toe the party line or refrain from commenting on the sensitive issue.
The Congress also asserted that only a recent Congress Working Committee resolution, along with the views expressed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and authorised All India Congress Committee (AICC) office-bearers, represents its position on the Pahalgam terror attack.
Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed and several injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on April 22.
The ruling BJP questioned Kharge and Gandhi over the comments of several of their colleagues, some of whom have questioned the need for a war with Pakistan and the Pahalgam attack victims' account that the terrorists had marked out non-Muslims, asking if their call for national unity was merely a formality.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also lashed out at Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav for saying he will not visit the grieving family of Shubham Dwivedi, one of the 26 victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, as he had no relations with them.
Yadav had, however, added that he would ask his party members to visit the Kanpur-based family and alleged that the BJP, at times, incites people in mourning to misbehave on such occasions.
Prasad named a number of Congress leaders, including Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, senior Maharashtra leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Karnataka minister R B Timmapur and Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra, for their controversial comments to target the opposition party's leadership.
"Do Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have no control over their party? Or both of them made pro-forma comments while letting others the freedom to speak as they wished?" he asked, adding that the remarks of the opposition leaders are being used in Pakistan, including by its media, to defame India.
Has any warning been given to these Congress leaders or have they been asked to apologise, Prasad asked of the opposition party's leadership.
Directing its leaders to either toe the party line or refrain from commenting on the Pahalgam attack, the Congress asserted that only a recent CWC resolution, along with the views expressed by Kharge, Gandhi and authorised AICC office-bearers, represents its position on the sensitive issue.
The opposition party's assertion came in the wake of remarks made by leaders like Wadettiwar, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Shashi Tharoor, Tariq Hameed Karra and Saifuddin Soz that have triggered a row, with the BJP alleging that some from the opposition party were speaking 'Pakistan's language'.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) had described the Pahalgam attack masterminded by Pakistan as a direct assault on the values of the Indian republic. It had also called for a comprehensive examination of intelligence failures and security lapses.
Both Kharge and Gandhi had expressed support for the government on whatever action it takes on the matter.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, 'The Congress Working Committee had met on April 24, 2025, and passed a resolution on the brutal terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam two days earlier. Thereafter, on the evening of April 24, 2025, the Congress President and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha attended the all-party meeting and put forward the party's views.'
'Some Congress leaders have been speaking to the media. They speak for themselves and do not reflect the Congress' views. There should be absolutely no doubt whatsoever at this most sensitive of times that the CWC resolution, the views expressed by Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi and the views of authorised AICC office-bearers ALONE represent the position of the Congress (sic),' Ramesh said in a post on X.
Later, the Congress general secretary told PTI, "As the situation evolves, the CWC, the Congress president and the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha will be articulating the party's position, and other leaders should either articulate the party line or refrain from commenting on the sensitive issue."
At his press conference, Prasad said Kharge and Gandhi had extended their support to the BJP-led Centre at the all-party meeting over the countermeasures being considered by it following the Pahalgam attack, and asserted that this reflected the strength of India's mature democracy.
However, several Congress leaders have made comments that appeared to be part of a pattern, he said, wondering if the top leadership of the opposition party merely responded in a perfunctory manner in the wake of the attack.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Saifuddin Soz, he said, has criticised India's decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance as the river is Pakistan's lifeline.
The BJP leader added that Soz has asked the Indian government to take into consideration Pakistan's official claim that it was not involved in the attack.
Siddaramaiah has expressed his opposition to a war with Pakistan and subsequently, clarified that it should be pursued only as a last resort, Prasad said.
Tharoor's comments on the Pahalgam terror attack, in which he reportedly said there was some failure but no country can ever have a 'foolproof, 100-per cent intelligence', have come under attack from within the Congress, with party leader Udit Raj hitting out at him.