Congress MP and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday took a firm stand in the Lok Sabha, countering attempts to communalise the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. During a special discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Monsoon Session, she responded with a pointed “Bharatiye the” (“They were Indians”) after some MPs purportedly referred to the victims as “Hindus”.
The attack, which occurred on April 22, 2025, claimed 26 lives in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region. Gandhi used the discussion to question the Centre’s handling of the incident and accuse the government of evading accountability.
LIVE : Speaking in the Lok Sabha during special discussion on Pahalgam attack and Opration Sindoor. https://t.co/76VP53PXOU
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 29, 2025
‘They Were Indians’: Priyanka Gandhi’s Emotional Response Resonates in Parliament
In her speech, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Union home minister spoke about my mother’s tears today. I want to answer this. My mother’s tears fell when terrorists killed my father. Today, when I talk about those 26 people (victims of the Pahalgam attack), it is because I understand their pain.”
She criticised the government’s silence on the causes of the terror attack, saying, “Yesterday, the Defence Minister (Rajnath Singh) gave a one-hour speech in which he talked about many things, but one matter was overlooked. On April 22, 2025, when 26 countrymen were shot dead, how and why did this attack happen?”
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Taking on the BJP-led government directly, Gandhi accused it of lacking empathy and shifting focus away from critical issues. “This government always tries to escape the questions…They have no sense of accountability towards the citizens of the nation. The truth is that they have no place for the public in their heart. For them, everything is politics, publicity…” she said.
Gandhi also rebuked the ruling party for what she described as a deflection through historical references. “Sahab, you talk about history, I will talk about the present. You always look for an excuse, you list out entire (Gandhi) family… You have been in power for 11 years. Yesterday, Gaurav Gogoi raised a question with the home minister, wasn’t that your responsibility? Defence minister Rajnath ji was nodding, but the home minister was laughing,” she added.
