Former Union Minister and now a staunch critic of PM Narendra Modi, Arun Shourie, has stirred a controversy during his interview with The Wire’s Karan Thapar. During the interview, Arun Shourie claimed that the Balochs could commit a terror attack in India in order to instigate a war with Pakistan.
Why is Arun Shourie so hurt?
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) May 14, 2025
Shourie says Baluchistan groups who are against Pak Govt does Terror attack in India so that Indian Govt will harm Pakistan.
Says you can't bomb air-bases. pic.twitter.com/MsNS5zTEMz
ForPol’s Mark Kinra reached out to Baloch activist groups for their comment on the matter. We are reproducing the statement given to us by Qazi Dad Mohammad Rehan, Information and Cultural Secretary of the Baloch National Movement, in full below. The Baloch National Movement is the oldest Baloch political organisation.
Statement by Baloch National Movement on Arun Shourie
I recently came across a video clip in which renowned Indian author and former minister Arun Shourie made a shocking and deeply disappointing remark. He claimed that Balochs could commit terror attacks in India so that Indian Govt will harm Pakistan.
Such a statement is not only irresponsible but also deeply offensive to the sentiments of the entire Baloch nation. For someone of Mr. Shourie’s stature and experience, this kind of reckless and baseless accusation is utterly unbecoming.
We are not terrorists. We have never fired a single bullet on anyone else’s land. We are fighting for our rights, our freedom, and our identity on our own soil — and that is our natural, political, and moral right.
Just as India fought for its freedom from British colonialism, and just as Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, and Kadu Makrani took up arms against tyranny — were they terrorists? No. They were freedom fighters. Likewise, the Baloch are not terrorists; we are a persecuted nation fighting for liberation.
It is Pakistan and its so-called Two-Nation Theory that breeds, nurtures, and exports terrorism. The world has seen this:
Pakistan-sponsored terrorists like Ajmal Kasab and Masood Azhar were captured in India. Others have been caught in Iran, Afghanistan, and even held in U.S. prisons. These are undeniable facts that cannot be ignored or brushed aside.
Arun Shourie must publicly apologise for his deeply offensive and misleading remark. The Baloch people deserve to be heard with truth and respect — not through dangerous and false labels. We are a people struggling for freedom and justice, and history will prove the righteousness of our cause.
