Congress: Pahalgam terror attack direct assault on unity of India, urges Centre to call all-party meet

Terming the Pahalgam terror attack as a direct assault on the unity and integrity of India, the Congress on Wednesday urged the Union Government to call for an all-party meeting over the incident.

“This is not a time for partisan politics. It is a moment for collective resolve to ensure justice for those who lost their lives and for their grieving families, by bringing the perpetrators of this terror attack to justice,” Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said in a press conference from Karnataka’s Bengaluru.

The Congress chief said this is a direct attack on the Indian state. “The entire nation is in shock. A Pakistani terrorist organisation has claimed responsibility. We must give a befitting response. We are all one and we will fight. There should not be claims without doing or without properly managing and finger-pointing,” he said.

He urged the BJP-led government to convene an all-party meeting. “We also expect the government to hold discussions with all political parties to address the challenge of terrorism in a spirit of consensus once the necessary actions have been taken and full information has been obtained. They should call an all-party meeting and take some advice. This is not politics, and we don’t want politics in this situation.”

He also said that the Pahalgam attack since the Chittisinghpura massacre in 2000, is among the most brazen and outrageous attempts by terrorists.

The Congress chief also expressed concern over the likely setback on Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism industry following the attack, while urging the government to help the affected people.

“The summer season is just beginning. This is the time when tourists start visiting the region. Tourism is also the biggest source of income for Jammu and Kashmir's economy and its people. People of Kashmir depend only on tourism. So, this year’s economy is collapsed. The Government of India should help them now. At this moment, we all are one. We will be one against the terrorists,” he said.

Also, the Congress chief emphasised on stringent security measures in wake of the Amarnath Yatra scheduled to begin in coming weeks.