Robert Vadra links Pahalgam attack to Hindutva policies, sparks controversy

Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, stirred political controversy on Wednesday after commenting on the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. While expressing condolences for the victims, Vadra suggested that the Hindutva-driven policies of the central government were contributing to rising communal tensions and possibly provoking extremist reactions.

Speaking to reporters, Vadra said, “I feel terrible and my deepest condolences are for the people who have died in this terrorist act…In our country, we see that this government will talk about Hindutva, and the minorities feel uncomfortable and troubled.” His remarks came just a day after the brutal mass shooting by The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, that left 28 people dead and over 10 injured in the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam.

Vadra’s comments implied that a growing Hindu-Muslim divide was fueling resentment and offering a pretext for terror organisations to target civilians. “If they (terrorists) are looking at people’s identity, why are they doing this? Because there’s a divide that has come about in our country,” he said, further adding that minorities, especially Muslims, were feeling “weakened” and insecure under the current administration.

He further elaborated that such acts send a chilling message to the leadership. “Looking at identities and then killing somebody—that’s a message to the PM… This has to be coming from the top, that we feel secure and secular in our country,” he stated. Vadra’s remarks, however, did not sit well with many across the political spectrum. Critics accused him of trying to politicize a national tragedy and rationalize terrorism. Social media saw sharp reactions, with many calling his comments insensitive and ill-timed.

The April 22 attack saw terrorists reportedly checking for circumcision and forcing victims to recite Islamic verses before executing them, an act aimed at targeting non-Muslims. The victims included 24 Indian tourists, two locals, and two foreign nationals from Nepal and the UAE, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the valley in recent years.