BENGALURU: Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, could have been avoided had the PM issued a warning based on intelligence inputs.
Speaking at a convention in Hosapete, Vijayanagara district, to mark two years of the Congress government in Karnataka, Kharge accused the Centre of security lapses. He claimed Modi cancelled his own Kashmir visit scheduled for 17 April after intelligence alerts, yet no advisory was issued to tourists.
"Why were those tourists not given police or military protection? Why were they not alerted? Had they been cautioned, 26 innocent lives could have been saved," he said.
Kharge further criticised Modi for skipping the all-party meeting held in the aftermath of the attack. "When the nation needed unity, Modi chose electioneering in Bihar over national interest. Twice he called an all-party meeting but did not attend. Had we skipped it, we would’ve been labelled anti-national, yet he avoids it and remains a ‘patriot’," he remarked.
He accused the BJP of monopolising patriotism and said, "Congress has also fought for the nation. You have not taken a contract for nationalism. True patriotism lies in unity, not in hollow speeches."
Kharge also demanded the dismissal of Madhya Pradesh BJP minister Vijay Shah for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. "He insulted her because of her name. Remove such people from the cabinet first before preaching nationalism," he urged.
SC caste census
Addressing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Kharge raised concerns over non-SC individuals being registered as 'Beda Jangama' in the ongoing SC caste census. "Let poor Lingayats receive welfare benefits, but they must not be included in the SC category unfairly. The population of Beda Jangama, historically around 500, is now shown as 5 lakh how is that possible? Such false claims deprive genuine SCs of their rights. Jail those issuing fake SC certificates," he insisted.
Kharge also advised Siddaramaiah to ensure proper implementation of the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (SES-2015), warning against any missteps that could harm the credibility of the caste census movement championed by Rahul Gandhi. "Rahul worked hard to push for caste census inclusion at the national level. Don’t let Karnataka’s mismanagement bring disrepute," he said.