Indian journalist raises questions over Pahalgam attack

Indian journalist Ajay Shukla has raised questions over the political motives behind what he described as the Indian government’s handling of the Pahalgam attack, alleging that the incident was used to strengthen an unsubstantiated narrative against Pakistan.

Shukla claimed that several Indian political figures had previously questioned the role of the government in the incident and alleged that the episode was linked to political and economic interests.

According to Shukla, the Narendra Modi-led government allegedly staged the episode to facilitate the construction of a hotel linked to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s son and to enable the takeover of land. These allegations have not been independently verified.

The report also cited former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela, who has previously alleged that the 2002 Gujarat violence was part of a political conspiracy involving the Modi government. Residents and political voices in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir have also questioned the official narrative surrounding the Pahalgam attack.

Critics of the Modi government had earlier rejected claims surrounding the incident and called for an independent investigation into the circumstances of the attack.

Security affairs expert Dr Ajai Sahni has also described the Pahalgam incident as a planned operation, according to the report.

Former governor of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik had called on Modi to apologise to the nation and resign, while former Indian legislator Vijay Tiwari had also questioned the government’s responsibility in connection with the Pahalgam attack.

Indian folk singer Neha Singh Rathore has separately criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), questioning why major terror attacks repeatedly occur during BJP governments. She also criticised the immediate allegations directed at Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack.

The report claimed that sections of the Indian public had rejected what it described as attempts by the BJP government to divert attention from domestic issues by blaming Pakistan.

However, the allegations regarding the Pahalgam attack and the political motives attributed to the Indian government remain disputed and have not been independently established.