Pahalgam terror attack: How Opposition leaders reacted to civilian killings in Jammu and Kashmir

An angry opposition on Wednesday demanded a "fitting response" to the dastardly terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam. Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi called for accountability over security failures after armed gunmen killed at least 26 people, mostly tourists, and injured over 20. 

 

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Opposition leaders cutting across party lines have called for accountability, justice, security enhancements, and broader governance improvements and criticised the BJP-led central government's handling of security in Jammu and Kashmir. 

 

Congress party's Rahul Gandhi demanded that the government should move beyond "hollow claims" of peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared that such acts must not go unpunished, demanding justice for the victims. Ex-chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti urged a thorough investigation to bring perpetrators to justice. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also demanded that those behind the attack be brought to justice.

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Paying condolences, Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “This is a direct attack on the Indian state. The entire nation is in shock. We must give a fitting response, and in this matter, we are all united.”

 

Kharge said he had spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah the previous night, with Shah assuring “drastic action” to address the incident.

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While the terror attack happened while US Vice President JD Vance was visiting India, a similar attack was carried out in March 2000 in Chhittisinghpura in which 35 people were killed, timed to coincide with the visit of the then US President Bill Clinton. At that time PM Narendra Modi was the BJP in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir.

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