New Delhi: Opposition leaders have strongly criticised Ravinder Raina, a senior BJP leader, for posting a reel in which he is seen running with security personnel in the snow while the country is mourning loss of lives in the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack.
Raina, a member of BJP’s national executive, is a former Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief and a former MLA. On Sunday, he posted a one-minute and 14-second-long video on social media that shows him running in the snow with at least five uniformed Army soldiers behind him. Raina and others can be seen smiling in the reel.
Piyush Mishra’s powerful track ‘Aarambh Hai Prachand’ from the film Gulaal plays in the background. Raina posted the reel on X and Instagram on Sunday night and captioned it “Jai Hind”.
#JaiHind 🇮🇳
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/vH4XYKkrpI— Ravinder Raina (@RavinderRaina) May 4, 2025
Uploaded less than two weeks after the Pahalgam attack, the reel has drawn flak from the Opposition leaders. Raina has been flayed for misusing the security personnel and questioned the timing of the reel.
Taking to X, the Congress party said: “In Kashmir, terrorists killed 28 of our people. The entire nation is pained and grieving over this tragic incident. But, BJP’s former state president and national executive member Ravinder Raina is busy making videos.” The party accused Raina of showing no remorse over the terrorist attack and was instead attempting to use the incident to boost his image on social media.
“It’s clearly evident that Ravinder Raina feels no sorrow for this tragic event. Instead, he is trying to exploit it and is focused on polishing his image on social media,” the party alleged. “But is this vulgar display acceptable to the BJP leadership and the Prime Minister? Shameful!” it added.
कश्मीर में हमारे 28 लोगों को आतंकियों ने मार दिया। इस दुखद घटना से पूरा देश आहत है, शोक में है।
लेकिन…
कश्मीर में BJP के पूर्व प्रदेश अध्यक्ष और राष्ट्रीय कार्यकारिणी सदस्य रविंद्र रैना ये वीडियो बना रहे हैं। बर्फ में अठखेलियां करते हुए रील बना रहे हैं।
साफ नजर आ रहा है… pic.twitter.com/mZQreGtebH
— Congress (@INCIndia) May 5, 2025
Senior Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said: “Somebody has lost his young son, somebody his father, somebody her husband. And this person is in a frolicking mood? He is shooting reels? Misusing security personnel? Where do they get so much shamelessness? Is insensitivity the BJP’s character?” she questioned.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also slammed Raina for the video, pointing out that protecting BJP leaders seems to be the real priority instead of borders.
“Reel game on point. If you have this kind of security, then of course a reel must be made,” Chaturvedi said on X. “Let the security forces guard the borders later — right now, protecting BJP leaders is the real priority.”
Reel game on point. If you have security such as this ek reel toh banti hai. Security forces can protect borders later, BJP waalon ko bachana bahut zaroori hai.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) May 5, 2025
Raina’s response
In his defence, Raina said that the video was shot during heavy snowfall in Kashmir in January. “I was working closely with our bravehearts to ensure safety of the people of Kernah Valley in district Kupwara of Kashmir, where I was also struck in heavy snowfall at Sadana Pass and with the help of our bravehearts I reached a safer place,” Raina said on Instagram.
He also alleged that the Congress party was misrepresenting the video with a “malicious intent”.
