26 people killed in Pahalgam, as Modi govt did not provide security: Mallikarjun Kharge

Vijayanagara (Karnataka) [India], May 20 (ANI): Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday criticised the Modi government for alleged security lapses that led to the Pahalgam terror attack, resulting in 26 deaths.

Kharge claimed that the government failed to provide adequate security arrangements for tourists, despite being aware of potential security threats.

He was speaking at the Samarpana Sankalpa Samavesh rally in Karnataka, highlighting the achievements of the state government over the past two years.

Mallikarjun Kharge said, "26 people were killed in Pahalgam because the Modi government did not provide security there. The centre did not provide police security or forces to tourists. Modi did not say anything about this. There were people going to Kashmir on the 17th, but Modi did not go to Kashmir, because his intelligence security told him not to go, as there would be chaos in Kashmir."

He alleged that the government's intelligence agencies had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the security threat, but no action was taken to warn tourists. Kharge condemned the government's priorities, stating that the Prime Minister's security was prioritised over the lives of citizens.

"You knew this. When you cancelled the trip to Kashmir, why did you not tell the tourists through the police? Why didn't you tell the tourists not to go there? If you had told them, 26 lives would have been saved. Pakistan has no power. It is weak; they have taken power from China and attacked our country. I had told you on the 22nd that we are all united. The country is important to us, but here it shows that Modi is more important than the country. You gave protection to Modi, but not to the people," he further added.

He attacked PM Modi and said that Congress would never be weakened by notices sent by central agencies.

"Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi gave their lives for this country. You thought we should give ED and CBI notices to such a party and cause trouble and weaken it. That will never happen," he added.

Earlier Congress leader Pawan Khera on Tuesday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after its IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya posted an edited photo of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, comparing him with Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, and suggesting that he might receive Nishan-e-Pakistan - highest civilian award in the neighbouring country.

Without naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Khera said that someone who went to eat biryani with former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was more deserving of Nishan-e-Pakistan.

"As far as Nishaan-e-Pakistan is concerned, their leader, Morarji Desai, was the only Indian politician who was awarded it for leaking RAW's secrets. Nobody else got it...Some more people deserve Nishan-e-Pakistan, like Lal Krishna Advani, who called Jinnah a secular, and the person who went to eat biryani with Nawaz Sharif without being invited," Khera told ANI.

He also took a dig at Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, alleging that he had informed Pakistan beforehand about the attacks on terror camps.

"We think he will get Nisha-e-Pakistan. There is another person who deserves Nisha-e-Pakistan- the one who said 'at the start of the action'. These are the words of EAM S Jaishankar, who informed Pakistan that we are taking action only on terrorist hideouts. He has very close relations with America. So now let's see what award he gets from which country," Khera added. (ANI)