New Delhi/Bengaluru: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said his party has extended full support to the central government in its actions against the Pahalgam terror attack perpetrators but it must take everyone into confidence, even as the BJP accused the opposition party of shielding the “terror ecosystem” and showing “love for Pakistan”.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and PDP leader Mehbooba Muti cautioned against alienating innocent people. In a post on X, Abdullah said, “After the Pahalgam terror attack, there must be a decisive fight against terrorism and its origin. The people of Kashmir have come out openly against terrorism and the murder of innocent people, they did this freely and spontaneously.
“Punish the guilty, show them no mercy but don’t let innocent people become collateral damage.”
The BJP, however, alleged that the Congress has rushed to Pakistan’s “rescue”. After Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaih, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar refuses to blame Pakistan and the terrorists for the Pahalgam attack,” BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said in a post on X.
“Good Cop, Bad Cop—Congress’s appeasement continues even on the Pahalgam Terror Attack!” “Nothing has changed in Congress since 26/11 still shielding terror ecosystem, still showing love for Pakistan,” he said.
The Indian Government must “tread with caution and carefully distinguish between terrorists and civilians following the recent Pahalgam attack. It must not alienate innocent people, especially those opposing terror,” Mehbooba Mufti said in a post on X.
Terrorists shot dead 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on Tuesday — an incident that has caused widespread anger and outrage and spiked tensions in the already strained India-Pakistan ties.
The Congress and the TMC said that there should not be petty politics on the issue and the government should take decisive action in the country’s interest.
The BJP, however, alleged that the Congress has rushed to Pakistan’s “rescue”. After Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaih, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar refuses to blame Pakistan and the terrorists for the Pahalgam attack, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said in a post on X.
“Good Cop, Bad Cop — Congress’s appeasement continues even on the Pahalgam Terror Attack!”
“Nothing has changed in Congress since 26/11 still shielding terror ecosystem, still showing love for Pakistan,” he said.
“Pakistan will pay for every drop of tear, every drop of blood, every innocent life lost as PM Narendra Modi ji said ‘Mitti main mila denge’ (will raze them to the ground),” he said.
Aiyar, during a book release event here on Saturday, wondered whether the April 22 terror attack that left 26 dead was a result of “unresolved questions of the Partition”.
Siddaramaiah’s “not in favour of war” and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s businessman husband Robert Vadra’s suggestion that non-Muslims were attacked in Pahalgam as terrorists feel Muslims are being “mistreated” in the country, had drawn flak from the BJP earlier.
In-charge of BJP’s National Information & Technology Department, Amit Malviya in his ‘X’ post said, “Congress rushes to Pakistan’s rescue”.
“Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who owes his position to Muslim votes, is being quoted across Pakistan for suggesting that we focus on security measures in Kashmir instead of confronting Pakistan, despite them murdering Indian Hindus in cold blood,” he said
Amid Pakistan media playing up his comments and BJP’s criticism, Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that he did not say “complete no to war”, but meant there should be war only if it is inevitable, as it is not the solution.
“No need for war means, if inevitable there should be war… Only if inevitable there should be war, there cannot be a solution from war. I did not say no to demands for war,” Siddaramaiah told reporters in Bengaluru.
Asserting that it was the duty of the central government to provide security to tourists at Pahalgam, he reiterated his stand that there were lapses in this regard and the failure on the part of the intelligence to prevent the incident.
Speaking in the same vein, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav targeted the Centre over the Pahalgam attack.
“The big question is how did the terrorists reach our home. This is a failure of the government. It was the result of intelligence failure.
“There were no proper security arrangements and forces could not reach there. Now people are also talking about Pulwama with Pahalgam,” he said at a press conference.
He demanded Rs 10 crore financial assistance and a government job for the families of each of the victims of the terrorist attack.
Kharge said the country is important and everyone will have to fight together to protect it and work for its welfare.
