New Delhi: A political row broke out on Thursday after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh drew a controversial comparison between Indian Members of Parliament travelling abroad and terrorists allegedly roaming free after the Pahalgam attacks. His comments sparked strong condemnation from the BJP, which demanded action.
Speaking to reporters, Ramesh questioned the government’s priorities. “These terrorists from Pahalgam were involved in four attacks and are still roaming freely. Our MPs are roaming, and terrorists are also roaming. We’re raising these questions seriously,” he said. He further accused the BJP of focusing on political attacks. “They do not answer these questions. The BJP only targets the Congress party. Their attack is on the Congress party; it should be on the terrorists. Action should be taken against Pakistan. The terrorists should be arrested,” he added.
Reacting sharply, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the Congress leader had insulted MPs who are part of international delegations. “Jairam Ramesh says the elected MPs in the all-party delegations who are exposing Pakistan abroad are actually like terrorists,” Poonawalla said.
He also questioned whether prominent opposition MPs should be considered terrorists under this analogy. “Are Kanimozhi, Supriya Sule and Rajeev, who are part of these delegations, terrorists?” he asked.
Poonawalla accused the Congress of echoing narratives favourable to Pakistan. “When Pakistan is being cornered diplomatically, the Congress comes out and speaks their language,” he said.
The BJP said the remarks were an affront to India’s diplomatic efforts and urged Parliament to take action. There has been no official response from Jairam Ramesh or the Congress to the BJP’s allegations so far.
The controversy comes amid reports that the government is planning a special session of Parliament in late June, which Ramesh has linked to deflecting attention from critical issues.