BJP slams Congress for not reining in its leaders speaking on Pahalgam

New Delhi: The BJP on Monday alleged that the Congress was speaking in different voices on the Pahalgam terror attack with its top leadership condemning the incident while its leaders raise doubts over it and the government’s steps like keeping the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. The ruling party sought to know if this is being done under a plan by the main Opposition and expressed concern over these Congress leaders becoming “instruments in the hands of Pakistan” for cornering India.Former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad named Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband Robert Vadra, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, former UPA ministers Saifuddin Soz and Mani Shankar Aiyar among those who have raised questions about the terrorists asking about the religion of the tourists before killing them in Pahalgam. The BJP wondered if these statements were made with the consent of the Congress top leadership.

“A big terror attack took place in Pahalgam in which people were shot after asking their religion and if they failed to recite Kalma. Family members of victims have also confirmed this with tears in their eyes. We do acknowledge that leaders of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have said they are fully backing the government… But why are some Congress leaders making such remarks. There is a pattern here,” Prasad said.

He recalled the 2008 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and underlined that the BJP had issued strict instructions to its spokespersons that they have to state clearly that the party was with the UPA government. However, Congress appears to be playing good cop, bad cop on the issue.

“Robert Vadra has said it appears that these incidents are happening as Muslims feel they are being mistreated in this country… He is Priyanka Gandhi’s husband and son-in-law of the family… Mani Shankar Aiyer is a senior leader of Congress who was a Union minister and very close to Rajiv Gandhi. He has said the unresolved questions of partition are reflected in this incident. He had earlier sought Pakistan’s help in fighting BJP,” Prasad said.

The BJP leader also slammed Siddaramaiah for his statement that there was no need of going to war with Pakistan. “Pakistan is lapping up these remarks. He is the chief minister of Karnataka,” Prasad said.He also mentioned the controversial remarks made by other Congress leaders, including Karnataka minister RB Timmapur (terrorists did not ask religion), Maharashtra leader Vijay Wadettiwar (Do no believe terrorists have time to target people over faith) and Saifuddin Soz (If Pakistan says no role in Pahalgam, we must accept it).Prasad said Pakistan is “misusing” these statements and asked if Congress has reprimanded the erring leaders. “We condemn these statements and hope this will stop… Your (Congress) leaders have become instruments in the hands of Pakistan,” he added.