'Refugees from PoK': Rahul Gandhi's gaffe on Kashmiri Pandits sparks backlash, BJP’s Amit Malviya calls him a 'mess'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi faced backlash on Wednesday after mistakenly referring to Kashmiri Pandits as refugees from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during a public rally in Jammu.

While addressing the crowd, Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, intended to speak about the promises made to Kashmiri Pandits by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. However, he mistakenly mentioned refugees from PoK instead. Realizing the error, Gandhi quickly corrected himself, saying, “Sorry, the promises made to Kashmiri Pandits by (former PM) Manmohan Singh will be fulfilled. And the promises made to refugees from PoK in 2014 regarding financial packages will also be honoured by us.”

Despite the swift correction, the BJP was quick to seize on the gaffe. Amit Malviya, chief of the BJP’s IT cell, took to social media to criticize Gandhi, referencing past comments by Sam Pitroda, head of the Indian Overseas Congress, who had tried to reshape Gandhi’s public image. Malviya remarked, “Then Sam Pitroda wants us to believe that he isn’t ‘Pappu’ anymore... A man who is the leader of opposition can’t distinguish between refugees from PoK and Kashmiri Pandits. The mess in Kashmir is a legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru. As if that wasn’t enough, we now have Rahul Gandhi also.”

Gandhi’s slip-up also sparked a wave of reactions on social media. Several users mocked him for the mistake, with one commenting, “The more Rahul Gandhi campaigns, the better it is for the BJP. Star campaigner of BJP delivers in Jammu Kashmir by scoring a massive self-goal & he calls himself a Janeudhari Kashmiri Brahmin.”

The incident comes at a sensitive time, as both Kashmiri Pandits and PoK refugees remain important voter bases in the region, and any misstep on such matters is closely watched by political rivals.