Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge strongly condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for skipping the all-party meeting convened to discuss the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Kharge expressed his disappointment over Modi’s absence, especially as 26 people lost their lives, and many others were injured in the tragic attack, reported the India Today.
In his statement, Kharge emphasized that the Prime Minister’s absence was a clear sign of disregard for the seriousness of the situation. “When the government calls for such a crucial meeting, the Prime Minister should be present. His absence was inappropriate,” he remarked. Kharge also noted that while the meeting was underway, PM Modi was delivering an election speech in Bihar. He interpreted this as a lack of seriousness about the matter.
Kharge further highlighted that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who chaired the meeting, admitted a lapse in security. He questioned why Modi did not address the nation or the political leadership about the security and intelligence failures leading to the attack.
The Congress leader also mentioned his conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging him to treat the attack as a national issue and take steps to prevent similar occurrences. Kharge pointed out that despite a three-tier security system in place, the government had failed to protect the citizens.
However, Kharge called for national unity at this time, stating that the opposition would support the government on matters related to national security. “For the sake of the nation’s unity, we stand with the government in this issue,” he added.
On the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, Kharge raised concerns about the practicality of such a decision, questioning whether India had the necessary infrastructure to store the water. He suggested that this debate should be addressed at a later time.
