Pahalgam terror attack: ' Giving religious angle harmful to nation,' says Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar (above) further discussed Omar Abdullah`s stay in Mumbai to complete his education during a time when the situation in Kashmir was "very dire." File Pic

Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar emphasised that attributing a religious angle to such a tragic event would be "harmful" to the country.

Pawar added, "Some are trying to give this a religious angle, which is harmful to the nation. We must not go down that path," reported news agency ANI.

Sharad Pawar commended Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for their handling of the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in 26 deaths and numerous injuries, noting that both leaders were acting with "great prudence."

Speaking at an event in Pune Rural, Pawar apprised of the government's acknowledgement of "falling short" during the all-party meeting held on April 24, but stated that this was not the time to discuss shortcomings. He added that the priority was to build an environment of trust, reported ANI.

"The discussion in the meeting acknowledged that there are questions to address, but one thing was clear: leaders like the Defence Minister and Home Minister are acting with great prudence. They admitted, 'Somewhere, we fell short.' However, this is not the time to discuss those shortcomings. The priority is to create an atmosphere of trust in the lives of those who were attacked. That is the most important thing right now," Pawar said.

Sharad Pawar further stated that the terrorist attack in Pahalgam was an "attack on India" and it requires setting aside political differences to stand united.

"The country is going through a difficult phase. Over the past two days, we have been reading about the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Terrorists carried out an attack, claiming the lives of innocent people. What happened was a shock to the nation. This was not an attack on any caste or religion; it was an attack on India. When there is an attack on Indians, it becomes our responsibility to set aside political differences and stand united," Pawar, former Union Agriculture Minister, added, reported ANI.

Speaking about his ties to Kashmir, NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar said that the people in the valley stand against terrorism and are advocating for peace and unity.

"I have many colleagues and friends in Kashmir. After the attack, I contacted them. Vijay Dhar, a friend of mine, mentioned that the people of Kashmir did not adopt a divisive mindset after the attack. They opposed terrorism and showed unity. Discussions were also held with the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. He stated, 'We will not let the unity and brotherhood here be broken at any cost," reported ANI.

Pawar further discussed Omar Abdullah's stay in Mumbai to complete his education during a time when the situation in Kashmir was "very dire."

"Omar Abdullah's father, Farooq Abdullah, is a friend of mine. There was a time when the situation in Kashmir was very dire. During that period, Omar Abdullah stayed in Mumbai to complete his education. Today, Omar Abdullah is the Chief Minister, and he has said, 'Kashmir and its people will never compromise their relationship with India'," Pawar stated, reported ANI.

The NCP chief argued that Kashmiris had adopted the approach to stand in unity amid the chaos over the Pahalgam terrorist attack, saying that the majority of Kashmiris don't accept "misguided ideology".

"Some people work with a misguided ideology, but the majority of Kashmiri society does not accept this. We need unity, a collective strength of all religions and castes. This is the perspective adopted by the Chief Minister and the people of Kashmir," Pawar noted, ANI reported.

(With inputs from ANI)