BENGALURU: Reacting to the Centre's decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty of 1960, AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge on Saturday questioned whether India has enough dams to store water stopped from flowing into Pakistan. He also questioned the prime minister's absence at the All-Party Meeting on the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir.
Kharge was responding to a query asking him if he was satisfied with the government's decision to retaliate against Pakistan, the country held responsible for the attack, by suspending the Indus Water Treaty.
He told reporters, "This is not the time to find fault. When the occassion arises we will tell them, but it is not good to say everything right now. What will be the repercussions of action taken now would be up for debate later."
"Now it is time to stand united with the government," he added.
However, Kharge sought clarity on how the country plans to handle the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty.
"If the government plans to withhold water, where will we store it? Do we have enough dams?" he asked.
Though the decision and resolution taken by the government now is good for the country, such questions will arise later, Kharge stated.
Kharge criticised Modi for not attending the All-Party Meeting on April 24.
"On behalf of the government, the prime minister should have been present. But he skipped the meeting, which was not right," he told reporters.
The Congress president said the prime minister's attitude towards the all-party meeting was not proper when at least 26 people lost their lives and many others sustained injuries.
Kharge noted that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who chaired the meeting, admitted that there was a security lapse when the attack occured.
Despite a three-tier security system, the government could not protect people, Kharge rued.
Kharge said he also told Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take this issue as a challenge and make arrangements to ensure that no such incidents are repeated.
"Whatever lapse has happened has happened, but in the future we should not let this happen. I told Shah that this should be taken up as a challenge. Everything should be properly arranged. Shah also assured that such incidents will not recur," he said.
The veteran leader said, "From the perspective of the nation and its unity, we told them that let us all come together and ensure the country's protection."
The Indus Waters Treaty
The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, governs the use and distribution of six rivers in the Indus basin — Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej.
Under the treaty, Pakistan was granted control over the western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab), while India retained rights over the eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej).
In response, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian airlines and suspended trade ties, including those routed through third countries.
Islamabad also rejected India’s suspension of the water-sharing pact, warning it would treat any disruption as an “act of war.”
(With inputs from PTI)