Opposition to Govt: We Back You on Terror, But Seeks Clarity on Pahalgam ‘Security Lapse’

A day after India announced strong measures against Pakistan following the terror attack in Pahalgam, leaders across the political spectrum extended their full support to the Centre in tackling terrorism. At the same time, many Opposition leaders raised serious concerns over lapses in security and intelligence that may have enabled the attack.

During an all-party meeting on Thursday, the government presented its evaluation of the developing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, aiming to foster a wide domestic political consensus on future actions. The Opposition was provided insights into the decisions made to date by key ministers, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, all of whom are members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

While reiterating their support for any action the government takes against the perpetrators and their handlers, several Opposition leaders expressed concern over security failures and questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend the meeting.

"It was crucial for the Prime Minister to be in attendance since the ultimate decisions rest with him. While ministers mentioned they would relay our perspectives to him, it is not the same as him hearing our views directly," stated Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge.

Kharge also highlighted what he called a glaring failure of intelligence. "How did such a lapse happen when a three-tier security system was reportedly in place?" he asked, echoing questions posed by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. "Rahul Gandhi raised a valid point - how could over a thousand people reach the site without the knowledge of the police?"

Kharge further stated that a government official present at the meeting acknowledged there was indeed a lapse, despite efforts to prevent such an incident.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh added that the attack site - typically secured during the Amarnath Yatra - was opened to tourists on April 20 without informing security agencies. "The area remained active without proper security, which is a major lapse," he said.

NCP (Sharad Pawar)'s Supriya Sule also said even tour operators in Pune knew the area had been reopened to tourists, raising questions over coordination between tourism bodies and security agencies.

Despite these concerns, the political consensus remained strong. "All parties condemned the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack. We said that efforts should be made to maintain peace in Jammu And Kashmir," Kharge affirmed. Rahul Gandhi too said the Opposition unanimously condemned the attack and offered full support to the government to take any action.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed that Rajnath Singh provided an update to all party leaders regarding the decisions made by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). He reiterated the Centre's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism and assured them that further "strong actions" would be forthcoming.

Officials from the Home Ministry and Intelligence Bureau provided further details on the incident, revealing that the attack site was not located on the main road and stressing that despite best efforts, a lapse had occurred.

Apart from CCS members, BJP president and Health Minister J P Nadda, and Kiren Rijiju were also present. A wide range of Opposition leaders attended, including Congress's Kharge and Gandhi, SP's Ramgopal Yadav, TMC's Sudip Bandyopadhyay, DMK's Tiruchi Siva, AAP's Sanjay Singh, BJD's Sasmit Patra, RJD's Prem Chand Gupta, AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, and NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule. NDA allies Shiv Sena and TDP were also represented by Shrikant Shinde and Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu.

AAP's Sanjay Singh said the message to the Centre was clear: go after the terrorists and take firm action against Pakistan for supporting them.

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi demanded strong international action and cited UN Security Council Resolution 1373, which calls on member states to combat terrorism by criminalising funding and freezing terrorist assets. He also referred to Article 51 of the UN Charter, which allows nations to defend themselves if attacked.

Owaisi also condemned online hate campaigns targeting Kashmiri Muslims and students. "This is false propaganda. Muslims have no role in this attack and never will. Yes, the terrorists asked the victims about their religion before killing them, which is horrific. But harassing innocent Muslims in response only strengthens the hands of the terrorists," he warned.