‘Bharatiye the’: Priyanka Gandhi counters ‘Hindu’ chants while naming Pahalgam victims in Lok Sabha

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday raised strong questions in the Lok Sabha over the government’s handling of the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, where 26 civilians — 25 Indians and one Nepali — were killed. Speaking during the special discussion on Operation Sindoor, Vadra read out the names of all 25 Indian victims, urging accountability and justice for the families.

As she began reading the names of the victims, members from the treasury benches reportedly shouted “Hindu” after each name. Vadra responded with “Bharatiya” (Indian), repeating it after every name to assert a national identity. This led to a brief verbal exchange in the House, with loud slogans of “Hindu” and “Indian” continuing through her speech.

Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the government failed to provide proper security in the Baisaran Valley where the attack occurred. “The ruling party spoke on various aspects but did not answer why and how the Pahalgam terror attack took place,” she said. She referred to the statement of the widow of Shubham Dwivedi, one of the victims, who said, “The whole time when the people were being killed mercilessly, she did not see one security personnel.”

Quoting the widow further, Vadra said, “When citizens were being killed one by one for an hour, there wasn’t a single security personnel. I saw my world ending in front of my eyes; there was not a single security guard. Why was there no security there?” She also pointed out that the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had accepted responsibility for the incident, but no further action or questioning followed.

Responding to the Union Home Minister’s remarks referencing Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi said, “My mother’s tears fell when terrorists killed my father. Today, when I talk about those 26 people, it is because I understand their pain.” She questioned why, after 11 years in power, the government had not provided answers about the attack, and criticised the lack of accountability from top leadership in addressing the issue directly.