HC to hear plea against Robert Vadra on May 2 over remarks on Pahalgam massacre

Lucknow, May 1 (IANS) The Allahabad High Court, on Friday, will hear a petition seeking legal action against Robert Vadra, the husband of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, over his alleged remarks related to the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

The petition has been filed by the Hindu Front for Justice and others before the Lucknow bench of the high court.

The plea was listed before a division bench comprising Justices Rajan Roy and Om Prakash Shukla on Wednesday. However, the matter could not be taken up due to time constraints.

The petition has urged the court to direct the Centre to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe Vadra's comments and also seeks legal proceedings against him under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

On April 22, terrorists opened fire in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir, resulting in the death of 26 people.

The petitioner's counsel, advocate Ranjana Agnihotri, alleged that Vadra's remarks in the aftermath of the attack sparked controversy.

She claimed that Vadra, the son-in-law of Congress Parliamentary Party Chief Sonia Gandhi and brother-in-law of party MP Rahul Gandhi, while reacting to the incident, had said that non-Muslims were targeted because terrorists believe Muslims are being "mistreated" in the country.

Vadra, speaking a day after the attack, suggested that the violence was rooted in the growing divide between Hindus and Muslims in India, which, he argued, was being exacerbated by the BJP-led government's 'Hindutva' agenda.

Vadra's statement implied that the terrorists were motivated by this division, linking the attack to the political and social climate in India.

"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 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..." Vadra said, sparking immediate controversy.

Social media platforms exploded with reactions to Vadra's comments, with many accusing him of justifying the terrorist act and offering cover for groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba.

BJP leader Amit Malviya also took to X to condemn Vadra's remarks, writing: "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."

Shehzad Poonawala, another BJP leader, responded sharply to Vadra's comments on X: "Even as we mourn for our deep loss in #PahalgamTerroristAttack Congress is back to what it does best: Defend Pakistan-sponsored Islamic Jihad, blame Hindus, and divide the nation. Robert Vadra, on instructions of Sonia & Rahul Gandhi, has started: 1) giving a clean chit to Pakistan, 2) blamed Hindutva, 3) justified the terror group's actions by giving a 'legitimate cause,' 4) divided us. Won't Pakistan use this on international platforms? Isn't this the same thing Congress did in 26/11, Pulwama, Samjhauta? Congress ka haath hamesha Pakistan Jihad ke saath."

--IANS

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