'Is this your nationalism?': TMC MP speaks out amid trolling of Pahalgam victim Lt Narwal's widow

Himanshi Narwal had asked people not to target Muslims and Kashmiris following the Pahalgam terror attack.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale has sharply criticised the trolling of the widow of Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Gohale demanded accountability for the government’s inaction against social media accounts, which he says have posted “obscene and hateful comments” targeting the Narwal's wife.

It is shocking to see the obscene & hateful comments being directed towards the widow of the Navy officer who was killed in Pahalgam. Most accounts spreading venom are BJP-affiliated. Why? Only because she appealed for communal harmony.
IT Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw should Saket Gokhale MP (@SaketGokhale) May 4, 2025

The controversy erupted after Himanshi Narwal, widow of Lt Vinay Narwal, made a heartfelt appeal for peace and communal harmony at a blood donation event on what would have been her husband’s 27th birthday. “We don’t want people going after Muslims or Kashmiris. We only want peace right now. Of course, we want justice, but the government must take precise steps against specifically those who did us wrong,” she said, urging the nation to pray for her late husband. Her statement, however, triggered a torrent of online abuse, with trolls targeting her for her call to avoid communal retaliation.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has condemned the trolling, describing it as “unfortunate” and asserting that it is not right to target a woman for her ideological expression or personal life. “After the death of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, the way his wife Himanshi Narwal is being criticised on social media in relation to one of her statements is unfortunate,” the NCW said in a statement posted on X.

#WATCH | Karnal | "...We don't want people going against Muslims or Kashmiris. We want peace and only peace. Of course, we want justice," says Himanshi, wife of Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack. pic.twitter.com/LaOpBVe7z2 ANI (@ANI) May 1, 2025

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has also come out in support of Himanshi, praising her courage and urging the country to draw inspiration from her message. Mufti criticised National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah for remarks suggesting local complicity in the attack, warning that such statements could fuel divisive narratives and further stigmatise Kashmiris and Muslims. “We should draw inspiration from Himanshi Narwal, who, despite the martyrdom of her husband, urged Indians not to blame and target Kashmiris or Muslims,” Mufti said in her post on X.

The tragic killing of Lt Vinay Narwal, who had married Himanshi just days before the attack, has left the nation mourning. His final rites were performed in his hometown of Karnal, Haryana, with thousands gathering to pay their respects as Navy personnel gave a gun salute. Himanshi, visibly emotional, saluted his coffin and said, “Let his soul rest in peace. He lived a good life. He made us really proud and we should continue to uphold that pride in every way.”