Why 3 Opposition Leaders Are Stealing The Show In Pahalgam Pushback

New Delhi:

They are outspoken critics of the BJP-led central government and are not known to mince words. Following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 25 tourists and a Kashmiri dead, three leaders from the Opposition have stood out for their pointed remarks, rising above the din of outrage.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress’s Shashi Tharoor have been unequivocal in their political messaging, winning over even their usual critics on social media, where their statements have been widely praised and circulated.

#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | On the Pahalgam terror attack, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “Obviously, there was no full proof intelligence. There was some failure… But we have got the example of Israel, the world’s best intelligence services according to everybody,… pic.twitter.com/v0SMkULt6i

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2025

Shashi Tharoor: The four-time Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram and a former Union Minister, Mr Tharoor has often run into trouble within his party for his comments, including one in which he praised the Narendra Modi government for its stance on the Russia-Ukraine War.

This time, the story has played out differently. The aftermath of the Pahalgam attack has seen several Congress leaders, including veteran Siddaramaiah, make the headlines for off-the-cuff remarks, compelling the party leadership to clarify that these remarks do not reflect its stand. But Mr Tharoor is on a roll.

Amid speculation about how India would respond to the attack, Mr Tharoor said, “In my opinion, a response should be given, and there should be a message in that response. If you commit such acts, you cannot do so free of cost, and that era is over. This is the price to pay– and tomorrow, the price will be greater. If that message is not given, such incidents will continue to occur.”

The Congress MP deftly avoided the pit some of his party colleagues fell into. He agreed that the government must be held accountable for an intelligence failure, but this was not the time. “Obviously, there was no full proof intelligence. There was some failure… But we have got the example of Israel, the world’s best intelligence services according to everybody, which were taken by surprise on October 7, just two years ago. It seems to me, just as Israel is waiting till the end of the war before they demand accountability, similarly, I think we too should see the present crisis through and then demand accountability from the government. No country can ever have a foolproof 100 per cent intelligence.” 

Mr Tharoor’s remarks reflected political maturity and aligned with the party leadership’s position that they will back the government in any action. The Congress MP was also brutal in his takedown of Pakistan politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Following New Delhi’s move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, the Pakistan People’s Party leader has said, “The Indus is ours and will remain ours, either our water will flow through it, or their blood.” In response, Mr Tharoor said, “The Pakistanis have to understand that they simply cannot kill Indians with impunity. We have no designs on Pakistan, but if they do something, they must be prepared for a response. If blood is going to flow, it will possibly flow more on their side than ours.”

#WATCH | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra | On Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s “Blood will flow” remark after Pahalgam attack, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi says,”…Bachpane ki baatein nahi karna..His mother was killed by their homegrown terrorists…Does he even know what he is… pic.twitter.com/yVn7jegwKn

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2025

Asaduddin Owaisi: The AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP is among the most vocal critics of the Narendra Modi government. Politically, Mr Owaisi has been a loner. While the BJP tries to paint him as a radical, the Opposition claims he is the BJP’s ‘B-team’. But despite being the only AIMIM MP in the Lok Sabha, Mr Owaisi is a formidable presence.

A barrister by education, Mr Owaisi is currently leading his party’s protest against the Waqf Amendment Act. But, notwithstanding his protests against the government, the AIMIM MP has shown the political will required for a united response to the heinous attack.

When the Centre called an all-party meeting after the attack, Mr Owaisi flagged that only parties with at least five MPs had been invited and objected to this criterion. Following his protest, Home Minister Amit Shah invited him to the meeting and the AIMIM MP attended it and put forward his views.

In the days following the attack, Mr Owaisi has blasted Pakistan and its leaders for their role in terror attacks on Indian soil. From distributing black armbands before Friday prayers at a mosque to taking on Pakistan’s politicians’ war-mongering, the AIMIM chief has made it clear that this was not the time for seeking domestic political opportunities.

Thundering at Pakistan leaders’ nuclear threats, he said, “Pakistan always talks about being a nuclear power; they need to remember that if they enter a country and kill innocent people, that country will not sit quietly. No matter the government, by killing our people on our land, and targeting them based on religion, what ‘deen’ are you talking about? You have acted like ISIS.”

On Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s outbursts against India, Mr Owaisi has said the young leader must remember that terrorism killed his mother and former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

He has also said that Pakistan was not just an hour behind but half a century behind India. Speaking out against an anti-Kashmiri narrative peddled by some right-wing outfits, Mr Owaisi has called for unity in this time of crisis.

Omar Abdullah: The two-time Chief Minister led his party to a thumping win in last year’s Jammu and Kashmir polls — the first election after the erstwhile state lost its special status and was bifurcated into two Union Territories in 2019.

The Omar Abdullah government has been fighting for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood and has been in a tussle with the centre-appointed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. In fact, weeks ahead of the Pahalgam tragedy, Omar Abdullah’s party had passed a resolution warning the Centre not to “push them to the wall”.

And then, terror struck. Omar Abdullah’s first response was a post on X, describing the attack as an “abomination”. He rushed back from Delhi and even though security in Jammu and Kashmir is the Centre’s responsibility, the National Conference leader has been cooperating with the Centre in tackling the aftermath of the attack.

In the week since the attack, Mr Abdullah has not used the tragedy to push for his longstanding statehood demand. His social media posts have been measured, including one in which he asked the Centre to ensure that innocent people don’t become collateral damage during its crackdown on terror. The National Conference leader also sent a strong message by attending the funeral of Syed Adil Hussain Shah, the Kashmiri pony ride operator who died protecting a tourist in the April 22 attack.

In a special session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly yesterday, Mr Abdullah delivered a powerful message.

Mr Abdullah said that while security in Jammu and Kashmir is not his government’s responsibility, he had welcomed tourists as Chief Minister. “As a host, it was my responsibility to ensure their safe return. I could not. I had no words to apologise. What could I say to those children who saw their fathers covered in blood, to that Navy officer’s widow who was married days ago? They asked us what their mistake was; they told us they came to Kashmir for the first time and would pay for that holiday lifelong,” he said.

Targeting the terrorists behind Pahalgam attack, he said, “Those who did this claim they did it for us. But did we ask for this? Did we say that these 26 people should be sent back in coffins in our name? Did we agree to this? None of us is with this attack. This attack has hollowed us out.”

The National Conference leader said Kashmir was witnessing spontaneous protests against the act of terror and that the government must be cautious. “We must not do anything that distances people from us. We should not take any action that hurts this spontaneous protest. We can control militancy with guns, but we cannot end it. It will end when the people are with us. Today, it seems people are reaching there,” he said.

And in a move that reflected political maturity and security, Mr Abdullah said his politics is not so “cheap” that he would use this tragedy to press for his demand for statehood.

“We have spoken about statehood earlier and will do so in the future. But shame on me if I go to the Centre and ask for it now. At this point, no politics, no business rules, no statehood. This time is only for the strong condemnation of this attack and heartfelt support for the victims,” he said.