Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intelligence about the impending terrorist attack in J&K's Pahalgam and linked postponement of the PM’s visit to Kashmir to the terror attack. He claimed that intelligence inputs were there, but he did not share the information with security forces.
“I read in newspapers that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to PM Modi. Therefore, he cancelled his Kashmir visit. When intelligence agencies told you it would not be appropriate to go, why did you not share this intelligence with police and security forces?” he asked.
Kharge's statement is the latest in a series of controversial remarks by Congress members over Pahalgam attack. The grand old party, however, distanced itself from the remarks and issued an edict asking its leaders to “exercise utmost discipline” and to “confine themselves to the Congress Working Committee’s stated position in the resolution”.
Addressing a 'Samvidhan Bachao' rally in Jharkhand, Kharge questioned why no preventive measures were taken despite reported advance warnings. He criticised the Prime Minister for allegedly cancelling his Kashmir visit based on the same intelligence while failing to protect civilians.
“A major terrorist attack took place in the country on April 22, in which 26 people were killed. There was an intelligence failure; the government has acknowledged it and said they will resolve it. But if they were aware of it, why wasn't anything done?” Kharge said.
“I have received information that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to Prime Minister Modi, and based on that, he cancelled his program to visit Kashmir. I also read this in a newspaper. If intelligence could warn that it wasn't safe for you (the PM) to go there, why didn't you take proper steps to protect the tourists and civilians?” the Congress President said.
Kharge further said that they are standing with the government in whatever decision it takes against Pakistan.
“We have already stated that whatever strong decisions the government takes against Pakistan in the fight against terrorism, we will stand with the government. Because this is a matter of national security. The country comes first; everything else is secondary. We have made sacrifices for this nation,” Kharge said.
The Congress President also stressed that he comes from a party in which a former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, gave her life. “Indira Gandhi gave her life. Mahatma Gandhi gave his life after Independence when a traitor shot him dead. We come from there. Sonia Gandhi gave everything for the country. She refused the Prime Ministerial post twice, and these people want to be in power after taking a hundred lives,” Kharge said.
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