Robert Vadra Links Pahalgam Terror Attack to Communal Tensions; BJP, Congress Respond

 New Delhi, April 23, 2025 — Businessman Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has drawn criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following remarks that appeared to link the recent terror attack in Jammu & Kashmir’s Pahalgam to growing communal tensions in India.

Speaking in the aftermath of the attack, which claimed the lives of 28 civilians, Vadra questioned the motivations behind the violence and attributed it, in part, to what he described as a growing sense of alienation among minorities.

“If you dissect this terrorist act that took place, 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 with Hindus and Muslims and also Christians,” Vadra said. “Looking at identities and then killing somebody — that's a message to the PM, because Muslims are feeling weakened. The minorities are feeling weakened.”

The BJP issued a swift and sharp rebuttal, accusing Vadra of providing a narrative that shields perpetrators rather than unequivocally condemning the violence.

“Shocking! Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra shamelessly defends an act of terror, offering cover to the terrorists instead of condemning them. He doesn't stop there, instead, shifts the blame onto India for the atrocities committed by Pakistani terrorists,” BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya wrote in a post on X.

Vadra further claimed that he was recently targeted by investigative agencies due to his vocal support for minority communities.

“Two weeks before, I was summoned by the ED. I had spoken in favour of the minorities,” he said. “I said when you stop Muslims from doing prayers on roads or roofs of their homes or doing surveys of temples under mosques or talk about Aurangzeb and Babur, it will create trouble.”

Vadra also expressed concern over rising religious discord in the country, adding, “Why are we having communal disharmony in our country? This will create divides. This will create these kinds of organisations feel that Hindus are making a problem for all the Muslims. We don't need that. You ask many Hindus and Muslims together — they help each other. In Covid, we saw they helped each other. They don't understand all these political ways of trying to infuse disorder to win elections.”

In contrast to Vadra's remarks, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called for restraint and national unity, urging all parties to rise above partisan politics.

“This is not a time for partisan politics,” Kharge stated. “It is a moment for collective resolve to ensure justice for those who lost their lives and for their grieving families, by bringing the perpetrators of this terror attack to justice.”

Kharge added that the government should initiate dialogue with all political parties to formulate a united strategy against terrorism. “They should call an all-party meeting and take some advice. This is not politics, and we don't want politics in this situation,” he said.

The Pahalgam attack, which has been claimed by The Resistance Front, a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, has reignited concerns over security and the politicization of terror incidents. As investigations continue, political discourse around the tragedy remains sharply divided.