PM cancelled J&K visit due to intel: Kharge; BJP hits back

Ranchi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled his Kashmir visit after “receiving an intelligence report” three days before the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. He also alleged that the Centre should be held accountable for “not reinforcing” security arrangements in Kashmir to protect people.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at Kharge, with party’s Jharkhand unit chief Babulal Marandi saying the Congress chief’s criticism was intended to “lower the morale of security forces”.

To be sure, the Prime Minister cancelled his visit to the region, scheduled for April 19, on account of bad weather.

Addressing the Congress’s ‘Samvidhan Bachao Rally’ (save constitution rally) in Ranchi, Kharge said the Union government accepted “intelligence failure” during an all-party meeting called after the Pahalgam attack.

“I was informed, and it’s published in the media as well, that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to Modi ji, following which Modi ji cancelled his Kashmir visit. I also read this in a newspaper,” Kharge claimed.

“When an intelligence report says that it is not proper to visit there for your security, why did you not inform your security, intelligence, local police and border force to protect people? When you got the information, you cancelled your programme but did not send more forces to protect tourists there,” the Rajya Sabha leader of Opposition alleged.

News reports, including one in HT, have cited unnamed security officials saying that they had some intelligence about a possible attack targetting people in Srinagar during the PM’s visit, but not later, and not at Pahalgam.

Twenty-six people, including 25 tourists, 24 of them Hindus were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.

Referring to the terror attack, Kharge alleged: “There was an intelligence failure. The government acknowledged it and said they will resolve it. But if they were aware of it, then why wasn’t anything done?”

The Congress president, however, reiterated his party’s support to the government in “whatever strong decisions it takes against Pakistan in the fight against terrorism”.

Senior BJP leader Babulal Marandi hit back at the Congress chief. “Kharge’s attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi is intended to lower the morale of security agencies. He made this comment at a time when the fight against terrorism and Pakistan is at a decisive stage,” Marandi told reporters.

The leader of Opposition in Jharkhand assembly added that the Congress should not be “indulging in politics at a time when the entire country stands with PM Modi in the fight against terror.”