Pahalgam attack: Cong tells its members to refrain from commenting on sensitive issues
TNN | Apr 29, 2025, 10.00 AM IST
New Delhi: Amid BJP stepping up its attack on some senior Congress members for allegedly questioning the need for war with Pakistan and challenging the accounts of the Pahalgam terror victims that terrorists targeted non-Muslims, the opposition party on Monday distanced itself from the controversial utterances which have given the governing party a handle to beat it with.
“Some Congress leaders have been speaking to the media. They speak for themselves and do not reflect Congress’s views,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement.
The statement came amid mounting attacks from BJP over remarks by Congress members, including Mani Shankar Aiyar, Shashi Tharoor, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his cabinet colleague R B Timmapur, Maharashtra leader Vijay Wadettiwar, J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra and former Union minister Saifuddin Soz.
“There should be absolutely no doubt whatsoever at this most sensitive of times that the CWC (Congress Working Committee) resolution, the views expressed by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi and the views of authorised AICC office-bearers alone represent the position of Congress,” Ramesh said, sending out a clear message to party members to refrain from commenting on the sensitive terror attack issue.
He said after the CWC passed the resolution, both Kharge and Rahul on the same day attended the all-party meeting and put forward the party's views.
The CWC resolution said, “Cowardly and calculated act of terror, masterminded by Pakistan, is a direct assault on the values of our Republic.” The CWC also flagged intelligence and security failure and called for a comprehensive analysis into the lapses that enabled such the attack.
Congress cautioned that the deliberate targeting of Hindus was aimed at inflaming passions as well as accused BJP of exploiting the tragedy to sow seeds of discord.
Both Kharge and Gandhi had expressed support for the govt on whatever action it takes on the matter.
Aiyar, during a book release event on Saturday, wondered whether the terror attack was a result of “unresolved questions of the Partition”.
On Monday, Wadettiwar stirred a controversy as he was quoted as reportedly saying, “The govt should take responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. They (govt) are saying that terrorists killed people after asking them (about their religion). Do terrorists have time for all this.”
Siddaramaiah, who found himself caught in the crosshairs for allegedly saying that India does not need a war with Pakistan to avenge the attack, on Sunday accused BJP and the media of misquoting him with a “sinister spin”. Timmapur doubted the veracity of the statements of wives and kin of victims of the terror attack that terrorists had marked non-Muslims out before shooting them dead.
Interestingly, Tharoor stirred a controversy with his comments in which he reportedly said there was some failure but no country can ever have a "foolproof, 100% intelligence”. This statement came under attack from Congress leader Udit Raj.
“When the BJP govt itself admitted security lapse, then brother Tharoor ji how did you become their lawyer and (are) giving (them a) clean chit?” Raj asked on X. “According to you Congress should guarantee foolproof intelligence to BJP and nothing should be asked of BJP,” he said.
Asked about Raj's remarks, Tharoor said everyone knows that he is not a BJP spokesperson and is, in fact, no one's spokesperson. "I speak for myself," he said as reported by news agency PTI. “I believe the person who said this is a former BJP MP, so you can ask him, he is better qualified to understand who speaks for BJP," Tharoor said. Raj was with BJP before switching to Congress.
“Some Congress leaders have been speaking to the media. They speak for themselves and do not reflect Congress’s views,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement.
The statement came amid mounting attacks from BJP over remarks by Congress members, including Mani Shankar Aiyar, Shashi Tharoor, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his cabinet colleague R B Timmapur, Maharashtra leader Vijay Wadettiwar, J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra and former Union minister Saifuddin Soz.
“There should be absolutely no doubt whatsoever at this most sensitive of times that the CWC (Congress Working Committee) resolution, the views expressed by party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi and the views of authorised AICC office-bearers alone represent the position of Congress,” Ramesh said, sending out a clear message to party members to refrain from commenting on the sensitive terror attack issue.
He said after the CWC passed the resolution, both Kharge and Rahul on the same day attended the all-party meeting and put forward the party's views.
The CWC resolution said, “Cowardly and calculated act of terror, masterminded by Pakistan, is a direct assault on the values of our Republic.” The CWC also flagged intelligence and security failure and called for a comprehensive analysis into the lapses that enabled such the attack.
Congress cautioned that the deliberate targeting of Hindus was aimed at inflaming passions as well as accused BJP of exploiting the tragedy to sow seeds of discord.
Both Kharge and Gandhi had expressed support for the govt on whatever action it takes on the matter.
Aiyar, during a book release event on Saturday, wondered whether the terror attack was a result of “unresolved questions of the Partition”.
On Monday, Wadettiwar stirred a controversy as he was quoted as reportedly saying, “The govt should take responsibility for the Pahalgam attack. They (govt) are saying that terrorists killed people after asking them (about their religion). Do terrorists have time for all this.”
Siddaramaiah, who found himself caught in the crosshairs for allegedly saying that India does not need a war with Pakistan to avenge the attack, on Sunday accused BJP and the media of misquoting him with a “sinister spin”. Timmapur doubted the veracity of the statements of wives and kin of victims of the terror attack that terrorists had marked non-Muslims out before shooting them dead.
Interestingly, Tharoor stirred a controversy with his comments in which he reportedly said there was some failure but no country can ever have a "foolproof, 100% intelligence”. This statement came under attack from Congress leader Udit Raj.
“When the BJP govt itself admitted security lapse, then brother Tharoor ji how did you become their lawyer and (are) giving (them a) clean chit?” Raj asked on X. “According to you Congress should guarantee foolproof intelligence to BJP and nothing should be asked of BJP,” he said.
Asked about Raj's remarks, Tharoor said everyone knows that he is not a BJP spokesperson and is, in fact, no one's spokesperson. "I speak for myself," he said as reported by news agency PTI. “I believe the person who said this is a former BJP MP, so you can ask him, he is better qualified to understand who speaks for BJP," Tharoor said. Raj was with BJP before switching to Congress.