Giving religious angle harmful to nation: Sharad Pawar on Pahalgam terror attack

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], April 28 (ANI): In the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has said that giving this deadly incident a religious angle was "harmful" to the nation.
He added, "Some are trying to give this a religious angle, which is harmful to the nation. We must not go down that path."
He praised the efforts made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in handling the situation after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people and left many injured, saying that both union ministers were working with "great prudence".
Speaking at an event in Pune Rural, Pawar apprised of the government's acknowledgement of "falling short" during the all-party meeting held on April 24, but stated that this was not the time to discuss shortcomings. He added that the priority was to build an environment of trust.
"The discussion in the meeting acknowledged that there are questions to address, but one thing was clear: leaders like the Defence Minister and Home Minister are acting with great prudence. They admitted, 'Somewhere, we fell short.' However, this is not the time to discuss those shortcomings. The priority is to create an atmosphere of trust in the lives of those who were attacked. That is the most important thing right now," Pawar said.
He further said that the terrorist attack in Pahalgam was an "attack on India", and it requires setting aside political differences to stand united.
"The country is going through a difficult phase. Over the past two days, we have been reading about the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Terrorists carried out an attack, claiming the lives of innocent people. What happened was a shock to the nation. This was not an attack on any caste or religion; it was an attack on India. When there is an attack on Indians, it becomes our responsibility to set aside political differences and stand united," Pawar, former Union Agriculture Minister, added.
Speaking about his connections in Kashmir, the NCP-SCP chief said that people in the valley oppose terrorism and were advocating for unity.
"I have many colleagues and friends in Kashmir. After the attack, I contacted them. Vijay Dhar, a friend of mine, mentioned that the people of Kashmir did not adopt a divisive mindset after the attack. They opposed terrorism and showed unity. Discussions were also held with the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah. He stated, 'We will not let the unity and brotherhood here be broken at any cost.'"
Pawar further discussed Omar Abdullah's stay in Mumbai to complete his education during a time when the situation in Kashmir was "very dire."
"Omar Abdullah's father, Farooq Abdullah, is a friend of mine. There was a time when the situation in Kashmir was very dire. During that period, Omar Abdullah stayed in Mumbai to complete his education. Today, Omar Abdullah is the Chief Minister, and he has said, 'Kashmir and its people will never compromise their relationship with India'," Pawar said.
The NCP chief argued that Kashmiris had adopted the approach to stand in unity amid the chaos over the Pahalgam terrorist attack, saying that the majority of Kashmiris don't accept "misguided ideology".
"Some people work with a misguided ideology, but the majority of Kashmiri society does not accept this. We need unity, a collective strength of all religions and castes. This is the perspective adopted by the Chief Minister and the people of Kashmir," Pawar said. (ANI)