'Doesn't represent party's official position': Congress on Pahalgam attack remarks by its leaders

Rahul Gandhi with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge

Distancing itself from divergent views express by a few of its leaders, the Congress on Monday reiterated that only the views expressed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the views of authorised AICC office-bearers represent the party’s official position.

“The Congress Working Committee (CWC) had met on April 24th 2025 and passed a resolution on the brutal terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam two days earlier. Thereafter on April 25th 2025 the Congress President and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha attended the all-party meeting and put forward the party's views. Some Congress leaders have been speaking to the media. They speak for themselves and do not reflect the INC's views,” Congress’ communications chief Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

Furthermore, the party also directed its leaders to refrain from making public statements that deviate from the party's official line on the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last week, which killed 26 people. The gag order came after several Congress leaders made remarks on the terror attack that stirred controversy and drew sharp criticism.

The party, during an all-party meeting held two days after the gruesome attack, had said that it will support the action taken by the central government in response to the terrorist assault.

On April 22, a group of around five to six terrorists affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam after reportedly asking about their religious affiliation -- an incident that has caused widespread anger and outrage and spiked tensions in the already strained India-Pakistan ties.

Senior Congress leader and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sparked a row after he said there was no need for a war with Pakistan and instead asked the central government to strengthen the security system.

"There is no need for war, stringent measures should be taken. The security system needs to be tightened. We are not in favour of war. There should be peace, people should have security, and the central government should take security measures...," he had said. Later in the day, the Chief Minister said that his statement was distorted, and if it is inevitable, India will have to wage war against Pakistan.

Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar also courted controversy by questioning claims made by victims' families that terrorists had asked about religion before carrying out the killings.