Pahalgam attack: Govt admits to lapses, gets Opposition backing on action at all-party meeting

Opposition parties led by the Congress on Thursday offered their full support to the government in taking any action to curb terrorism in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. This support was expressed during the all-party meeting convened by the Centre to brief political leaders about the incident.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Home Ministry and Intelligence Bureau officials briefed the political parties on the details of the incident, including the lapses that led to the tragic event.

“The officials briefed the parties about why and how lapses occurred. They also briefed the leaders about the logistical challenges, such as the fact that the Baisaran meadow was accessible only on foot or horseback. The briefing primarily focused on the checks and balances being implemented to prevent such incidents in future. Significantly, all political parties lent support to the government and showed a spirit of unity,” Rijiju said.

He further said there was a clear message that the incident would not be politicised. At the outset of the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed the attendees on the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on April 23 and reiterated the Centre’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. The government assured the parties of strict action against the perpetrators and highlighted PM Narendra Modi’s strong message to terrorists during a rally in Bihar.

The meeting was attended by several prominent leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president and Health Minister JP Nadda, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and others.

After the meeting, Rahul said all opposition parties condemned the attack and offered full support to the government in taking action against terrorism. Kharge stressed the importance of the PM’s presence in such meetings, “given the critical nature of the decisions involved”. He also raised concerns about the “security lapse” that led to the killings despite a three-tier security arrangement.

TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay expressed solidarity over the incident, but questioned the lack of security deployment at a key tourist spot like Pahalgam. He criticised the BJP for allegedly politicising the issue along communal lines and urged the ruling party to take greater responsibility.

Other attendees at the meeting included DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, RJD’s Prem Chand Gupta and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule.

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