‘Do terrorists have time for this?’ Congress leader’s comment on Pahalgam attack draws BJP ire

Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday triggered a massive political row with his remarks on the April 22 terrorist attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The Congress leader said that the government should take responsibility for the attack, and raised doubts about the eyewitnesses and survivors’ claim that the terrorists killed people based on their religion.

“The government should take responsibility for the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack.
They (the government) are saying that terrorists killed people after asking them (about their religion). Do terrorists have time for all this?… Some people say that this did not happen. Terrorists have no caste or religion. Catch those who are responsible and take action. This is the sentiment of the country,” Wadettiwar told a news agency in Nagpur.

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The BJP was quick to slam Wadettiwar for his remarks, saying the Congress leaders are competing to give a clean chit to Pakistan.

“….Now Vijay Wadettiwar says that the government is responsible, Pakistan is not responsible, and is there any proof that terrorists killed people based on religion?” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a video statement posted on X.

The BJP leader further added: “This is not being said for the first time, the same thing has come from Anil Deshmukh of NCP-Sharad Pawar faction… In the all-party meeting, they will say that Pakistan is responsible, take action against Pakistan, take action against terrorists, and we are with you. And after the all-party meeting, they say don’t take action against Pakistan.”

At least 26 people, including 24 tourists from across the country, a local Kashmiri guide, and a Nepali national, were gunned down by terrorists at Basiran meadow near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district in one of the deadliest attacks targeting civilians in decades.

According to survivors and the family members of the victims, the terrorists asked the tourists their religion, and only those who were Hindus were killed. However, a local Kashmiri Muslim was also killed while trying to save the tourists. Two of the terrorists were Pakistani nationals.