Pahalgam terror attack: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor cites Israel's example to defend Modi govt

Contrary to Congress's official take on the Pahalgam terror attack, MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday dismissed criticisms against the government's 'security lapse' leading to the incident. Citing the example of the Hamas attack on Israel in October, he stated that no country had "foolproof intelligence". 

 

Tharoor said there are operations that are successful but we only get to know about the terror attacks that the agencies failed to thwart. 

 

"No country can ever have a foolproof 100 per cent intelligence. We will never know about the various terror attacks that were successfully thwarted," Tharoor was quoted by ANI. 

 

The Congress MP also added that this was normal in any nation. "There were failures, I agree, but that should not be our main focus right now." 

 

A terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 killed 26 people, mostly tourists. The attacks have intensified the Pakistan-Indian relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing strict action against those behind the attack. 

 

The attack also led to New Delhi suspending the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan. 

 

While comparing India's situation to that of the Hamas attack on Israel, Tharoor said that Israel is known to be a country with the world's best intelligence services and yet they were taken by surprise on October 7.

 

Just as Israel is waiting till the end of the war before they demand accountability, I think we should also see the present crisis through and then demand accountability from the government, Tharoor said.

 

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) after its meeting, attended by Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and other senior officials, blamed the "security lapses and intelligence failures" behind the attack. CWC also criticised the BJP government for promoting discord and polarisation by exploiting the tragedy at a time when unity is most required.  

India