A BJP Rajya Sabha member has remarked that the women who survived last month’s Pahalgam massacre “lacked the warrior spirit” since they didn’t fight the assailants who killed their male relatives.

Ram Chander Jangra’s comments came at an event to mark the birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar, the ascetic 18th-century queen of Indore, at Bhiwani in Haryana on Saturday.

“The brave women we had there, whose sindoor was snatched away — they lacked the warrior spirit, lacked passion, emotion, heart, and so, with folded hands, they became victims of bullets,” Jangra appears to say in a video.

He later told reporters: “Had they (the tourists) fought (back), the casualties would have been less. They — terrorists — had come with an intention to kill people. They did not have mercy.”

Jangra’s comments attracted allegations of “misogyny” against his party, particularly with a BJP minister from Madhya Pradesh, Vijay Shah, having earlier made derogatory remarks about a woman colonel in the context of Operation Sindoor.

Another BJP minister from Madhya Pradesh, Jagdish Devda, has made remarks seen as an insult to the army.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X: “There is a competition among BJP leaders to malign the victims of Pahalgam and our brave army. The shameful statement of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ramchandra Jangra has once again exposed the petty mentality of RSS-BJP.

“MP’s Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda insulted our brave army, but Modi ji did not take any action. MP Minister Vijay Shah made lewd remarks against our brave Colonel but has not been dismissed till date. Even when the wife of the naval officer martyred in Pahalgam was being trolled on social media, Modi ji was silent.

Kharge’s post added: “@narendramodi Yes, You say you have sindoor in your veins. If this is so, then you should dismiss these foul-mouthed leaders of yours for the sake of respect for women!”

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav wrote on X: “Instead of worshipping women, insulting them, condemning them and exploiting and harassing them in every possible way is the real face of the BJP, which is both disgusting and extremely shameful. BJP is not a party but a swamp of misogyny.”

A post on X from Trinamool said: “26 people lost their lives, and he blames the women? This isn’t just insensitive, it’s VILE and INHUMAN.… And PM @narendramodi dares to talk about Naari Samman? Spare us the hypocrisy. Women are NOT your vote bank slogans.”

Jangra issued a clarification in a video. “I said that the terrorists killed people identifying them with their religion, and had the tourists been Agniveer-trained, they would have surrounded the terrorists. There would have been casualties, but the terrorists would also have been killed,” he said.

“I don’t think that our sisters are weak or cowardly. They are brave…. Still, if anyone’s feelings are hurt, I don’t mind apologising.”

Questioned by reporters, Union minister and former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal of the BJP said: “He said this in the wrong context…. He has expressed regret so this issue should end here.”

As for Vijay Shah, he had described one of the Operation Sindoor spokespersons, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, as the “sister” of the Pahalgam terrorists in an allusion to her religion. Devda is alleged to have said the country and the army were bowing before the Prime Minister.

Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered a probe against Shah, and has pulled up the police for filing a weak FIR. The Supreme Court has reprimanded Shah. Neither minister has faced any police action yet.