New Delhi: In a politically charged statement that has sparked a nationwide debate, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had prior intelligence about the recent Pahalgam terror attack, prompting him to cancel a scheduled visit to Jammu & Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Kharge said, “The Prime Minister had advance information about the attack in Pahalgam. That’s why he quietly dropped his Jammu & Kashmir trip. If intelligence inputs were strong enough to make him cancel, why wasn’t action taken to prevent the attack?”
Attack Claims Lives, Raises Security Concerns
The Pahalgam terror attack, which occurred over the weekend, resulted in the deaths of several security personnel and civilians. The assault has raised serious questions about intelligence coordination and the preparedness of the security apparatus in the region.
Kharge’s remarks come at a time when the Centre is already under fire for lapses in internal security, especially in conflict-prone areas like South Kashmir.
BJP Hits Back
Reacting strongly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed Kharge’s claims as “irresponsible and misleading.” Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “This is a desperate attempt to politicize a national tragedy. The Prime Minister’s safety is managed based on standard protocols, not political calculations. We advise Mr. Kharge to not play politics over the martyrdom of our jawans.”
Demand for Transparency
Kharge has demanded that the government come clean on the sequence of events leading up to the attack and release details of intelligence inputs, if any. He also called for a high-level parliamentary probe to assess whether preventive measures were ignored.
Political analysts say the incident is likely to be a flashpoint in the coming weeks, especially with elections in several states around the corner.
NSAB Reshuffle Post Attack
Coinciding with the controversy, the government has revamped the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) to include new counter-terror experts and former intelligence officials. The move is seen as an effort to strengthen internal security mechanisms post-Pahalgam.
