New Delhi, APR 25: The Indian central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has reportedly acknowledged that a security lapse contributed to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
According to sources cited by India Today, the admission came during a closed-door all-party meeting convened on Thursday to address the fallout from the attack.
During the meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, a leader from Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly conceded to the opposition: “If nothing had gone wrong, why would we be sitting here? There have been lapses somewhere that we have to find out.”
Opposition parties also relentlessly questioned the apparent breakdown in security protocols.
“Where were the security forces? Where was the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)?” multiple leaders reportedly asked during the meeting.
In response, government representatives allegedly explained that local authorities in the Anantnag district had opened the Baisaran area near Pahalgam — a zone traditionally restricted until the annual Amarnath Yatra pilgrimage begins in June — without informing central security agencies.
Further complicating the response, officials reportedly noted the attack site was difficult to access, requiring a 45-minute walk, and admitted that no specific standard operating procedure (SOP) was in place for handling such an emergency swiftly in that particular location.
Despite the government’s explanation, criticism mounted.
Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), expressed disbelief that a high-traffic tourist area lacked police or CRPF presence.
“How can such a high-traffic area remain unprotected? If terrorists can reach Pahalgam, they can also endanger major cities like Srinagar,” he warned.
Former chief of army staff, General VP Malik, labelled the incident “a clear failure of intelligence agencies.”
He questioned the lack of actionable intelligence during peak tourist season, stating: “Where were the intelligence agencies? Where was our secret information? We must investigate this.”
While Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stated that the opposition extended “full support” to the government for any responsive action, the Congress party’s stance sharpened later.
The Congress Central Working Committee (CWC) passed a resolution accusing Pakistan of “masterminding” the attack and demanding a “comprehensive analysis of the intelligence and security failures”.
The CWC resolution highlighted Pahalgam’s status as a supposedly heavily guarded area with three-tier security, placing responsibility squarely on the Union Home Ministry, under which the Union Territory falls.
“These questions must be raised in the larger public interest. This is the only way justice can truly be seen to be served for the families whose lives have been so brutally devastated,” the CWC noted.
The Congress also accused the BJP and its social media proxies of “exploiting the grave tragedy… to sow further discord, mistrust, polarisation and division.”
The articulation by the Congress’s highest decision-making body effected a subtle change from party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s comment that this was not the time for “partisan politics”.
“This is not an attack, we are putting out our primary findings. Don’t you feel that there is no security lapse? … We being a responsible opposition party have to ask the question to the government for the future also,” party general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said, on being asked about the CWC resolution that talked about security lapse and attacked the BJP.
Venugopal, along with others, read out the CWC resolution, expressing “its deepest shock and condemnation of the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam”.
The tension surrounding the security lapse spilled over tragically in IIOJK’s Kathua district, where senior journalist Rakesh Sharma was reportedly assaulted by BJP workers while covering a protest against the attack.
The assault allegedly occurred after Sharma questioned BJP leaders about accountability asking: “Who is responsible for the Pahalgam attack? Is the Ministry of Home Affairs not accountable?”
Party workers reportedly accused him of using “separatist language.”
