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.
In the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, 26 people lost their lives. Addressing the Samvidhan Bachao Rally in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Kharge also said that the government has accepted that there was an intelligence failure.
The Congress Leader 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.”
Congress President’s comments came as India and Pakistan’s relations are tense after the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a tweet on the social media platform X, the grand old party Congress also showed solidarity with the victims’ families of the Pahalgam attack and said that it was time to demonstrate collective will as a nation to “teach Pakistan a lesson and curb terrorism decisively”.
It added in the post that the party “urges the Government of India to act with firmness, strategic clarity, and international coordination to isolate and penalise Pakistan for its continued export of terror into our territory.”
BJP Reacts To Kharge’s Claims
BJP leader CR Kesavan had 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 had 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.
India, on Monday, also stopped the water flow through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River briefly. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also announced a mock drills on May 7 across the nation to enhance the civil defence preparedness.
