Arundhati Roy, speaking on Mehdi Hasan’s Mehdi Unfiltered, questioned the 2001 Parliament attack case and Afzal Guru’s execution.
She said she had written extensively about what she described as “fake attacks,” “fake terrorists,” and “fake assassination attempts.”
The comments triggered strong public backlash, with critics accusing Roy of undermining the sacrifices of people.
Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy, best known for The God of Small Things—which won the Booker Prize in 1997—has once again drawn sharp public attention. The reactions followed remarks she made during an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan on Zeteo’s show Mehdi Unfiltered, published on YouTube on October 3, 2025.
During the conversation, which focused on how Zionism and Hindu nationalism “work together,” Roy made strong and contentious claims. Her claims were related to terrorism cases in India, particularly the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the execution of Afzal Guru.
Speaking about her experiences, Roy said she had written extensively about what she described as “fake attacks,” “fake terrorists,” and “fake assassination attempts.” Recounting her time in jail, she spoke about meeting Afzal Guru, who was in jail for the Parliament attack. She said it “sounded so hokey from the start.” She claimed she had no idea why he was in jail.
She further alleged that after reviewing legal documents related to the case, she found the conviction deeply troubling. She said, “What the hell is going on,” and referred to the Supreme Court’s decision to award the death penalty
According to Roy, the Supreme Court ruled that although “we have no evidence to prove that he belonged to a terrorist group, but in order to satisfy the collective conscience of society, we are sentencing him to death,” adding that Guru was later executed. Roy’s remarks were widely condemned suggesting that the Parliament attack was cliched and that Afzal Guru was innocent.
Roy’s comments triggered sharp reactions on social media, with many users accusing her of undermining the sacrifices of security personnel and dismissing established judicial findings.
One user wrote, “Calling the Parliament attack ‘made-up’ isn’t bravery; it’s contempt for facts, courts, and the lives of martyred security personnel. When evidence and martyrdom don’t suit the narrative, just call terrorism fiction.”
Another comment took a more mocking tone, stating, “If I were in my mid-60s and high on narcotics, even I would think recorded world events were fake news.” Another wrote, “And what are we doing when these types of terrorists roam free and speak hatred? If we declare them anti-national and jail or hang them, then people like them won’t grow.”
Arundhati Roy has long been known for the controversial and polarising nature of her public interventions. Speaking on an international platform and calling a recorded terror attack fake has once again triggered controversy. Earlier, Arundhati Roy had also drawn backlash after claiming that India’s “liberation” of Goa was a brutal war against its own Christian citizens.
Her comment on the Parliament attack has once again divided public opinion, with many calling her out and blaming her for such remarks.
The terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament took place on December 13, 2001, when five heavily armed militants stormed the complex and opened fire. Twelve people were killed, including five Delhi Police personnel, a CRPF trooper, two Parliament staff members, a gardener, and a journalist, before all five attackers were shot dead. The hour-long gun battle was broadcast live across the country.
Afzal Guru was later convicted for his role in the conspiracy and was executed in 2013. While the verdict was upheld by the Supreme Court, sections of civil society, activists, and some political voices have long questioned whether he received fair due process.
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