Pahalgam Terror Attack: Congress Leader Claims Intelligence Failure
Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress Chief, Mallikarjun Kharge, has claimed that he read in newspapers that an intelligence report was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi three days before the heinous attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam resulted in the loss of 26 lives.
Kharga addressed the Samvidhan Bachao Rally in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and said, "There was an intelligence failure, the government has accepted it, and they will resolve it. If they knew this, why didn’t they do anything?… I got information that 3 days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to PM Modi, and therefore he cancelled his programme to visit Kashmir, I also read this in a newspaper."
The Congress Leader also showed solidarity with the victims’ families of the Pahalgam attack, saying it was time to demonstrate collective will as a nation to "teach Pakistan a lesson and curb terrorism decisively." The party urged the Government of India to act with firmness, strategic clarity, and international coordination to isolate and penalize Pakistan for its continued export of terror into our territory.
BJP Reacts to Kharge’s Claims
BJP leader CR Kesavan reacted to Kharge’s claims and demanded an "unconditional" apology from him. He said, "He has made treacherous statements similar to a modern-day Mir Jaffar. His toxic, baseless, unfounded rant against the Prime Minister is most deplorable and condemnable, and Mr. Kharge’s remarks are unpardonable, indefensible, and cannot be forgiven. Everybody demands an unconditional apology from him, and he should also come clean on what kind of inputs he received to make such outrageous remarks."
India’s Measures Against Pakistan
On April 23, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri informed that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) decided on several measures, including holding the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism." India also downgraded its diplomatic ties with the Islamic nations as the Defence, Military, Naval, and Air Advisors of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi were declared persona non grata. On Monday, India stopped the water flow through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River briefly. The Ministry of Home Affairs also announced a mock drills on May 7 across the nation to enhance civil defence preparedness.
