New Delhi: The Centre Thursday admitted that lapses led to the Pahalgam terror attack, telling opposition leaders at an all-party meeting that local tour operators had opened the route to tourists without informing the administration, due to which there was no deployment of security personnel in the area, ThePrint has learnt.
Responding to opposition leaders’ allegations of possible intelligence and security lapses, Home Minister Amit Shah is learnt to have said that “we have called the meeting because we could not prevent the attack”.
ThePrint has also learnt that government functionaries informed opposition leaders that over the years, the route was typically opened to tourists in June, coinciding with the commencement of the Amarnath Yatra. However, this year, tour operators opened it as early as 20 April, “without the knowledge of the authorities”.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presided over the meeting that had Shah, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge in attendance among representatives of various political parties.
Sources said that Rahul questioned the complete absence of security personnel at the site of the attack, which is a picturesque meadow in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The director of the Intelligence Bureau also gave a 15-minute presentation at the meeting, which was held at the Parliament Annexe.
“The government told us that the route usually opens in June during the Amarnath Yatra as pilgrims headed to the holy site take rest at this location. However, this time, local tour operators started accepting bookings for tourists interested in going to the spot in April itself. From 20 April, tourists started going there. The local authorities were not aware of this development and resultantly, there was virtually no security deployment there,” Aam Aadmi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh told ThePrint.
At the meeting, all opposition parties assured the government that they would fully back its measures in response to the attack. The government told the Opposition that it had put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance to send a signal to Pakistan that it was gearing up to take tough steps.
The opposition parties also asked the BJP to desist from attempts to turn the attack into a “Hindu-Muslim” issue.
Trinamool Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, it is learnt, said that the Opposition is with the Union government in the fight against terrorism, and the nation must be totally united in this fight. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call a meeting of the heads of all political parties at the earliest.
The TMC leader asked why the BJP was turning the matter into a “Hindu-Muslim issue”. The ruling party in Delhi has to shoulder much more responsibility than others, he added, ThePrint has learnt.
In his intervention, Kharge questioned Modi’s absence at the meeting, sources said.
It was important for the PM to attend such meetings because his decisions are final, the Congress president is learnt to have said, adding that while government functionaries said they would inform the PM about the discussions, he should have listened to them first-hand.
AAP’s Sanjay Singh also questioned the PM’s decision to address a rally in Bihar rather than attending the meeting.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi sought to know the reason behind the delay in dispatching a quick reaction team to the site of the attack. He said the government should explore the option of enforcing an air and naval blockade of Pakistan, which is permitted under international law.
Owaisi also pushed for measures to put a lid on the “false propaganda against Kashmiris and Kashmiri students” in the aftermath of the attack.
It is very good that the Indus Waters Treaty has been suspended but where will we keep the water, the Lok Sabha MP is learnt to have asked.
After the meeting ended, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told media persons that the leaders were briefed by officials from the Intelligence Bureau and the Ministry of Home Affairs “on lapses and steps being taken to prevent recurrence”.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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