NEW DELHI: Blaming “security lapses and intelligence failure” for the Pahalgam terror attack, Congress on Thursday said the deliberate targeting of Hindus in the heinous act “masterminded by Pakistan” is designed to inflame passions across India, even as it accused the governing BJP of exploiting the tragedy by using social media to sow discord and create polarisation. Congress warned the Modi government that counter measures announced against Pakistan should not be “symbolic”.
The Congress Working Committee meeting, attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, while blaming “security lapses and intelligence failures” for the attack, underlined that the terror-hit area is protected by a three-tier security arrangement and falls under the purview of Union home ministry. It demanded a comprehensive analysis of the “failures”.
“These questions must be raised in the larger public interest. This is the only way justice can truly be seen to be served for the families whose lives have been so brutally devastated,” stated the CWC resolution, released by Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, spokesman Pawan Khera and MP Naseer Hussain. Legislature party leader in J&K Ghulam Ahmad Mir was also there at the meeting.
According to sources, Rahul argued in the meeting that it was a clear case of security and intelligence failure , and the party should not shy away from pointing it out. He reportedly said the party would support the government in its actions against terrorism but the responsibility for the attack lay at the doorsteps of the government, which controls the security in J&K. As it became clear during the CWC meet that PM Narendra Modi will not chair the all-party meeting in the evening, senior leaders Ajay Maken, Abhishek Singhvi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra argued that in that case, top Congress duo of Kharge and Rahul should attend the deliberations called by the government to underline the importance that Congress gives to the terror tragedy.
Speaking to reporters, Venugopal pushed back at the suggestions that charges of intelligence and security failures were contradictory to the party’s stance of standing by the government. “The general feeling in public who were there is that enough security arrangements were not made... This is a genuine question from common people. The kin of the victims are asking the same question. We, as a responsible opposition, have to ask this of the government,” he said, recalling that he visited Srinagar after the attack where he met the kin and the locals.
The CWC “expressed shock that BJP is exploiting this grave tragedy through official and proxy social media platforms to sow further discord, mistrust, polarisation and division at a time when unity and solidarity is most needed.”
According to sources, at the meeting, many underlined that the area is heavily guarded in normal times, and more so during the tourist season. It was also pointed out that terror attacks have become a regular feature in J&K since 2022. It was also noted there was a spontaneous response from the locals against the attack. According to one leader, the locals said check posts were removed from the Pahalgam route, while there was a buzz that the said terrorist outfit TRF will undertake an attack before April 25.
The Congress Working Committee meeting, attended by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, while blaming “security lapses and intelligence failures” for the attack, underlined that the terror-hit area is protected by a three-tier security arrangement and falls under the purview of Union home ministry. It demanded a comprehensive analysis of the “failures”.
“These questions must be raised in the larger public interest. This is the only way justice can truly be seen to be served for the families whose lives have been so brutally devastated,” stated the CWC resolution, released by Congress general secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, spokesman Pawan Khera and MP Naseer Hussain. Legislature party leader in J&K Ghulam Ahmad Mir was also there at the meeting.
According to sources, Rahul argued in the meeting that it was a clear case of security and intelligence failure , and the party should not shy away from pointing it out. He reportedly said the party would support the government in its actions against terrorism but the responsibility for the attack lay at the doorsteps of the government, which controls the security in J&K. As it became clear during the CWC meet that PM Narendra Modi will not chair the all-party meeting in the evening, senior leaders Ajay Maken, Abhishek Singhvi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra argued that in that case, top Congress duo of Kharge and Rahul should attend the deliberations called by the government to underline the importance that Congress gives to the terror tragedy.
Speaking to reporters, Venugopal pushed back at the suggestions that charges of intelligence and security failures were contradictory to the party’s stance of standing by the government. “The general feeling in public who were there is that enough security arrangements were not made... This is a genuine question from common people. The kin of the victims are asking the same question. We, as a responsible opposition, have to ask this of the government,” he said, recalling that he visited Srinagar after the attack where he met the kin and the locals.
The CWC “expressed shock that BJP is exploiting this grave tragedy through official and proxy social media platforms to sow further discord, mistrust, polarisation and division at a time when unity and solidarity is most needed.”
According to sources, at the meeting, many underlined that the area is heavily guarded in normal times, and more so during the tourist season. It was also pointed out that terror attacks have become a regular feature in J&K since 2022. It was also noted there was a spontaneous response from the locals against the attack. According to one leader, the locals said check posts were removed from the Pahalgam route, while there was a buzz that the said terrorist outfit TRF will undertake an attack before April 25.
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