Opposition Slams BJP’s Ravinder Raina for Posting Army ‘Reel’ Amid National Mourning
Opposition leaders have criticised BJP’s Ravinder Raina for posting a video with Army soldiers amid national mourning over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
BJP leader Ravinder Raina is under fire from Opposition parties for sharing a short video featuring himself with Indian Army soldiers, filmed in a snow-covered region. The clip, shared on Sunday night on X and Instagram, shows Raina jogging alongside armed personnel with the caption “Jai Hind”.
The timing of the post drew sharp criticism from several parties, particularly the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), who argued that the video was insensitive given the country is still mourning the recent terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that left 26 dead.
“In Kashmir, terrorists killed 28 of our people. The nation is in grief. But the BJP’s former J&K chief is busy making videos,” the Congress wrote in a post on X. The party accused Raina of attempting to “polish his image on social media” and questioned if such conduct was acceptable to the Prime Minister.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also weighed in, stating, “Let the security forces guard the borders later — right now, protecting BJP leaders is the real priority.” She also took a swipe at the post’s stylised presentation, saying “Reel game on point.”
In response to the backlash, Ravinder Raina clarified that the video in question was not recent. “The video was shot in January during severe snowfall in Kashmir,” he posted on Instagram. He said the footage was captured while assisting people in Kupwara’s Kernah Valley and that he had travelled through the snow-covered Sadana Pass with Army support.
He further alleged that the Congress had twisted facts. “Unfortunately, the Congress Party with a malicious intent has misrepresented the footage as recent, which is nothing but its false propaganda,” he wrote.
The political slugfest comes in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, one of the deadliest in Kashmir since Pulwama in 2019. Opposition leaders have been vocally critical of the government’s response, while the BJP has maintained that national security remains a top priority.
The Pahalgam massacre has led to a surge in diplomatic and military tension between India and Pakistan, with heightened cross-border activity and internal security advisories being issued.
