Congress Working Committee meet in Delhi.
Credit: PTI photo
New Delhi: Congress on Thursday sought to corner the Narendra Modi government over the “intelligence failures and security lapses” that enabled the “cowardly and calculated act of terror masterminded by Pakistan” in the “heavily guarded” Pahalgam and the ruling BJP’s attempt to “exploit” the tragedy to sow the seeds of discord and polarisation in the society.
In a resolution adopted at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the party said “robust, transparent, and proactive” security arrangements must be put in place without delay to ensure safety of pilgrims as well as the livelihoods of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, many of whom depend on tourism, with full sincerity and seriousness.
At the meeting chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by top leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, sources said senior Jammu and Kashmir leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir briefed the senior leaders about the ground situation in the Valley and alleged lapses that led to the terror strike on Tuesday that claimed the lives of 26 people.
Sources said Mir told the leaders that the locals had been claiming about decreased security paraphernalia in the locality. He also spoke about the choice of locality and the “emotional and spontaneous” response of Kashmiris to the attack. Sources said the leadership has decided to not to hold back on making the government accountable for the security and intelligence lapses.
Addressing a press conference with senior leaders Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, Mir and Syed Naseer Hussain, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said the party will be holding candle light vigil at state and district levels on Friday in solidarity with the families of those who lost their lives and against terrorism.
Expressing its “deepest shock and condemnation of the heinous terrorist attack”, the resolution said that the “cowardly and calculated act of terror, mastermind by Pakistan, is a direct assault on the values of our Republic”. The “deliberate targeting of Hindus was done to inflame passions” across the country, it said.
Emphasising that Pahalgam is a heavily guarded area and secured by a three-tier security arrangement, it said, “it is imperative that a comprehensive analysis is conducted into the intelligence failures and security lapses that enabled such an attack in a Union Territory – an area directly under the purview of the Union Home Ministry.”
“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”, it said.
It said the massacre has drawn condemnation from all parties in Jammu and Kashmir and from a wide cross-section of its citizens but it was “shocked” that the ruling BJP was “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 was most needed.
Appealing for calm in the face of this “grave provocation”, the Congress emphasised its longstanding resolve to combat cross-border terrorism with determination and unity. It also referred to the upcoming Amarnath Yatra and said lakhs of pilgrims participate in this annual journey and their safety must be treated as a national priority.
The party also paid tributes to the local ‘ponywalas’ and tourist guides, one of whom was martyred while selflessly trying to protect the tourist to uphold the ‘Idea of India’.