BJP Challenges Congress on Khurshid’s Article 370 Views

BJP’s Reaction to Khurshid’s Statements

On Friday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned the Congress party’s stance. They asked if Congress would now criticize their senior leader, Salman Khurshid. This follows Khurshid’s praise for the decision to remove Article 370. The BJP referred to his comments as “speaking an inconvenient truth.”

What Khurshid Said

Khurshid is part of a group from different parties visiting Jammu and Kashmir after the Pahalgam terror attack. He mentioned that the region has seen prosperity and normalcy since the removal of Article 370.

“Kashmir faced a big problem for a long time,” Khurshid stated. He explained that Article 370 made Kashmir seem separate from the rest of India. He pointed out that after its removal, an election took place with 65% voter turnout. Now, Kashmir has an elected government.

BJP’s Response

Amit Malviya, the BJP IT cell chief, highlighted Khurshid’s remarks. He said these remarks show support from different parties for the government’s actions in Jammu and Kashmir. Malviya also asked if Congress would now criticize Khurshid, similar to how they reacted to Shashi Tharoor.

“Will Congress now criticize him for speaking an inconvenient truth, just like they did with Shashi Tharoor?” Malviya questioned.

Tharoor’s Recent Issue

This comes after Shashi Tharoor faced criticism from his party members. Tharoor had said that India conducted its first cross-border surgical strike in 2016. Many in Congress saw this as belittling similar operations during the UPA era.

Tharoor’s Explanation

Tharoor defended himself on X (formerly Twitter). He clarified that his remarks were about responses to terrorist attacks, not about previous wars or conflicts.

“I was clearly talking about responses to terrorist attacks,” Tharoor said. He added that his remarks were about recent attacks and India’s careful responses.

Congress’ Reaction to Tharoor

Tharoor’s remarks led to strong responses from his party colleagues. Udit Raj accused Tharoor of tarnishing Congress’ legacy. Pawan Khera also joined in, sharing a screenshot from Tharoor’s book where he had criticized the Modi government.

Main Points

• Salman Khurshid praised the removal of Article 370, saying it brought prosperity to Jammu and Kashmir.
• BJP questioned if Congress would criticize Khurshid for his remarks.
• Shashi Tharoor faced backlash for his comments on surgical strikes.
• Tharoor defended his statements, saying they were about responses to terrorist attacks.
• Congress leaders criticized Tharoor for his remarks.