RANCHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had cancelled his Kashmir visit after "receiving an intelligence report three days before" the Pahalgam terror attack last month.
He also claimed that the Centre accepted "intelligence failure" in an all-party meeting and said it should be held accountable for "not reinforcing" security arrangements in Kashmir to protect people.
"I got information that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to Modi Ji, and that is why Modi Ji cancelled his visit to Kashmir... When an intelligence report says that it is not proper to visit there for your security, why did you not inform your security, intelligence, local police and border force to protect people? When you got the information, you cancelled your programme but did not send more forces to protect tourists there...", Kharge alleged.
Twenty-five tourists and a local Kashmiri man were killed by militants in Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.
Addressing the 'Samvidhan Bachao' rally in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi, the Congress chief said, "India is faced with a huge crisis. The Centre accepted the intelligence failure during the all-party meeting. You (PM Modi) admitted that there was an intelligence flaw. When the Centre knew about the possible terror strike, why did it not put in place a system to protect people?"
"Shouldn't the Centre be accountable for the loss of lives in the Pahalgam attack when it accepted the intelligence failure," he asked.
He announced that the Congress stands behind the Centre for "any action against Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack" as the country is "supreme and beyond party, religion and caste."
Reacting to Kharge's allegation, the BJP claimed that it was intended to "lower the morale of security forces."
Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi said that Kharge's comment at a critical time when the "fight against terrorism and Pakistan was at a decisive juncture" was "uncalled for."