BJP scrambles as MP Jangra’s remark on Pahalgam widows triggers outrage

The BJP has distanced itself from its Rajya Sabha MP Ram Chander Jangra after his controversial remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack victims sparked nationwide outrage. The party dismissed his comments as “personal views,” even as Jangra claimed his statement had been “distorted” to fuel a political controversy.

Do not mind apologising: MP

Advertisement

My comments have been distorted to generate political controversy. However, I do not mind apologising if anyone was hurt by his statement: Ram Chander Jangra, BJP MP

Facing severe backlash, the 75-year-old MP later said he “doesn’t mind apologising” if his remarks had hurt anyone.

Former Haryana CM and Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar led the party’s damage-control efforts. He said Jangra’s comments were his “personal opinion” and did not reflect the BJP’s stance.

Khattar acknowledged that the remarks about widowed women were inappropriate. “It was indeed a mistake and he (Jangra) has expressed regret… the issue should be closed now,” he asserted.

The Congress, however, demanded Jangra’s expulsion and an explanation from the BJP top brass. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, said, “PM Modi should apologise for this shameful statement and expel MP Ram Chander Jangra from the party.”

Echoing his sentiments, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Chander Jangra’s shameful statement has once again exposed the petty mentality of RSS-BJP.”

On Saturday, Jangra had stirred controversy by claiming that the women who lost their husbands in the Pahalgam attack “lacked the spirit and courage to fight back”.

“They folded their hands before the terrorists instead of snatching their weapons… Had they undergone training under PM Modi’s Agnipath scheme, the outcome could have been different,” he had said.

Party insiders admit that Jangra’s latest “insensitive” comments have caused significant embarrassment at a time when the country has launched a major diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor.

This is not the first time Jangra has courted a controversy. Last year, he alleged that “700 girls went missing” during the 2021 farmers’ protest on Delhi’s borders, only to retract the statement amid fierce opposition backlash.