BJP Shehzad Poonawalla slams Jairam Ramesh over 'terrorists are roaming' remark, demands parliamentary action

New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): A political storm has erupted after Congress MP Jairam Ramesh made a controversial remark stating, "our MPs are roaming and terrorists are also roaming," prompting a sharp response from BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla who strongly condemned the statement, calling it "shameful, condemnable, and senseless."
He also urged the Privileges Committee of Parliament to take immediate cognisance and initiate action against Ramesh.
"This is the most shameful, condemnable, and senseless statement. The Privileges Committee of the Parliament should immediately take cognisance of this and take action," Poonawalla said while speaking to ANI on Thursday.
Drawing attention to past instances, Poonawalla accused the Congress of repeatedly undermining India's armed forces and national interests.
"Our MPs are visiting partner countries to expose Pakistan and Jairam Ramesh compared them with terrorists. This is the same party which called the Chief of Army Staff a 'goonda'... They are the same people who asked for proof of the Balakot air strikes. They have time and again insulted the forces... After questioning the military strike, they are now questioning the diplomatic strike,"
He highlighted internal contradictions within the Congress party, citing party leaders' recent comments on senior MP Shashi Tharoor and pointed out that Ramesh's comments could be exploited by Pakistan.
"First, they cornered their own MP Shashi Tharoor, and now this comment against their ally MPs is condemnable. This is what Pakistan wants. Pakistan uses statements like these to give a clean chit to itself. Jairam Ramesh is speaking the language of Pakistan's DG-ISPR," he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Ramesh took a jibe at the Central government for sending out parliamentarians across the world while the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack are "roaming around."
"It has been a month since the Pahalgam attack on April 22. Today, those terrorists are roaming around. They had a role in the December 2023 Poonch terror attack; the Ganderbal attack in October 2024; and in the same month, another attack took place--they had their role in that too. This means that the Pahalgam terrorists are responsible for four attacks in 18 months, and they are roaming around. Our MPs are roaming around, and our terrorists are roaming around too," Ramesh told ANI.
Seven groups of MPs have been sent to various countries to present India's stance against terrorism and expose Pakistan's links to it. The delegation of MPs is meeting various political leaders, think tanks and the Indian diaspora in various countries. (ANI)