Vadra’s Remarks on Pahalgam Attack Cross the Line: A Shameful Justification of Terror

In the aftermath of the horrifying terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 innocent tourists, one would expect a united voice of condemnation from across the political spectrum. But instead of solidarity, businessman and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s husband, Robert Vadra gave a shocking and disgraceful justification for terrorism—turning tragedy into a political weapon and playing directly into the hands of India’s enemies.

Vadra, speaking to the media on April 23, 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… In our country, we see that this government will talk about Hindutva, and the minorities feel uncomfortable and troubled… If you dissect this terrorist act, 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.”

Let that sink in. Instead of placing the blame squarely where it belongs—on the Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), which proudly claimed responsibility—Vadra peddled a narrative suggesting the attack was a response to the so-called discomfort of minorities in India. This isn’t just misleading. It’s dangerous. It’s disgusting.

These are not the words of a concerned citizen. These are the words of someone justifying cold-blooded murder. Vadra’s implication that terrorists acted out of social frustration is not only factually baseless—it is a slap in the face to the families of the victims, to the armed forces risking their lives daily, and to every Indian who refuses to bow down to the threat of jihadist violence.

Terrorists didn’t kill 26 people to send a message to Modi. They killed them because they hate India. They killed them because they are cowards funded by Pakistan’s ISI and trained to spread fear. Vadra’s attempt to communalize this act of terror does more to divide India than any fringe element ever could.

Compare this with the Centre’s response: Union Home Minister Amit Shah immediately flew to the region, reviewed security with top officials, and deployed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to assist Jammu and Kashmir Police in a full-scale investigation. The message from the government is clear—terror will not be tolerated, and justice will be delivered.

But Vadra’s message? That’s murky, cynical, and shameful. He speaks of minorities feeling “weakened,” yet ignores that this very attack was on innocent civilians—many of whom were not identified by religion, but by the simple fact that they were Indian. This was not a communal crime. It was an act of war. And Vadra’s comments embolden the enemy by creating a false equivalence between policy discourse and premeditated bloodshed.

At a time when India must stand united, Vadra chose division. At a time when terrorists must be condemned, he chose to find them political justification. At a time when citizens are burying their dead, he chose to play victimhood politics.

India deserves better than Robert Vadra’s dangerous rhetoric. We need truth, not twisted narratives. We need unity, not communal wedges. And above all, we need the courage to call out terror—without excuses, without appeasement, and without shame.