Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday questioned the security and intelligence apparatus over the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which left 26 people dead. Calling it a “clear failure,” Abdullah asked, “Who is responsible for this failure? If it is an intelligence failure, then who is responsible for this? It is not possible that 26 people lost their lives and there is no response from our side.”
He said accountability must follow once a lapse is identified. “Now that we know there has been a failure in security and intelligence, someone has to be held responsible,” he said, urging the Centre to take corrective measures.
Responding to his remarks, BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana said some leaders were trying to stay relevant by making such statements. “Pahalgam attack was an unexpected attack on tourists and civilians. We have neutralised those responsible,” he said in Delhi, defending the government’s response to the incident.
Demands for J-K statehood intensify as Congress leaders write to PM
Meanwhile, the issue of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood was also raised, with Omar Abdullah thanking Congress leaders for highlighting it. “We are not demanding anything that has not been promised. We have been told many times that we will be given statehood at the right time... Now, Jammu and Kashmir should be given statehood soon,” the J-K CM said.
Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi jointly wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the government to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The letter also called for the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, aimed at safeguarding its tribal population.
They requested that legislation to this effect be brought forward in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
(With inputs from ANI)
