Gurugram: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Tuesday visited the residence of Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal in Haryana’s Karnal to meet the family of the officer who was killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Gandhi spent about one and a half hours with the family. Congress Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and state Congress president Udai Bhan, and Youth Congress leader Divyanshu Budhiraja, who contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Karnal, also reached the residence at the time.
Talking to ThePrint over the telephone, Deepender Hooda said that Rahul Gandhi paid tribute to Vinay Narwal and held a private conversation with the family, offering solace in their hour of grief.
“After paying his tribute to Lieutenant Vinay Narwal by placing flower petals on his portrait, Rahul Gandhi sat with Narwal’s family in a separate room. Only Vinay Narwal’s father Rajesh Kumar, mother Asha Devi, grandfather Hawa Singh, grandmother Biru Devi and sister Shrishti were present with Rahul Gandhi inside the room during their interaction,” said Hooda.
Vinay Narwal’s widow, Himanshi, was not present at the time as she was visiting her parents in Gurugram.
Speaking to reporters after the visit, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda described the meeting as a solemn tribute to Lieutenant Narwal’s sacrifice. “Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi reached Karnal to meet the family of Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal ji, who was martyred in the Pahalgam terror attack. He paid his respects and held a private conversation with the family, offering them strength and support.”
He emphasised that Gandhi’s visit was devoid of political motives, focusing solely on honouring the fallen officer and consoling his family.
When pressed about the online backlash faced by Himanshi after she said last week that people should not target any community for the attack, Hooda said, “Our sole purpose today was to pay tribute to Lieutenant Vinay Narwal. Neither Rahul Gandhi nor I have any intention of commenting on other matters. We are here to honour a brave son of Haryana and stand with his family.”
Within hours of leaving Karnal, Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, said, “Met the grieving family of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who was martyred in the Pahalgam attack, shared in their sorrow, and offered them condolences. Even in their immense grief, their courage and resilience send a message to the nation—we must stand united.”
The entire country stands with the families of the martyrs. The government has the full support of the opposition—the culprits must be punished so severely that no one dares to even look toward India with ill intent. Today, the whole nation waits for justice alongside the victimised families.”
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Online backlash
Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, a 26-year-old officer from Karnal, was among the 26 tourists killed in a horrific terrorist attack at Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam on April 22. The attack, one of the deadliest targeting civilians in Kashmir in recent years, occurred just six days after Narwal’s wedding to Himanshi, a PhD scholar from Gurugram, on 16 April in Mussoorie.
Narwal, an engineering graduate who joined the Navy three years ago, was posted at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.
Amid the national outrage following the attack, speaking to reporters last week, Himanshi appealed for peace, urging the public not to direct hate towards Muslims or Kashmiris.
“We don’t want people going against Muslims or Kashmiris. We want peace and only peace. Of course, we want justice,” she said, emphasising that those responsible for her husband’s death should face strict punishment.
However, this triggered intense online backlash, drawing the attention of senior political leaders.
On Monday, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda took to X to address the harassment faced by Himanshi, whom he referred to as “Haryana’s daughter”. In his post, Hooda condemned the trolling and urged Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini to take immediate action.
“Himanshi Narwal, the wife of martyr Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, is being targeted with vile trolling on social media. This is an insult to a brave son’s sacrifice and Haryana’s daughter. I appeal to CM Nayab Saini to intervene and ensure strict action against those responsible,” Hooda said.
His statement highlighted the need to protect the dignity of a family already reeling from an irreparable loss and called for accountability to curb the malicious campaign against Himanshi.
On Monday, the National Commission for Women (NCW) said Himanshi’s trolling was “unacceptable”.
In a message on X, the NCW said, “The way Ms. Himanshi Narwal, wife of Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, is being targeted on social media following her statement after his death is extremely condemnable and unfortunate. Targeting any woman by attacking her personal life or ideological expression is unacceptable in any form.”
It added, “Any kind of agreement or disagreement must always be expressed with decency and within constitutional boundaries. The National Commission for Women is committed to protecting the dignity and respect of every woman.”
The Haryana government, in its cabinet meeting held on 5 May, approved financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh to Lt Narwal’s family and also sanctioned a government job for one family member.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
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