Kharge slams PM for skipping all-party meeting on Pahalgam terror attack

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's absence from the all-party meeting on the Pahalgam terror attack a "shame".

While paying tributes to the victims of the attack, he said, "the Congress will be the first to teach a proper lesson to anyone who dares to raise eyes against the pride and honour of the nation."

In a scathing attack on the PM for his absence from the all-party meeting, he said, "It is the misfortune of our country that PM Modi did not come to the meeting. This is a matter of shame."

He said, "Modi gives election speeches in Bihar, but cannot come to the meeting being held in Delhi."

Earlier, ahead of the meeting, the Congress had insisted that it should be chaired by the PM. However, it was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

"I had said in a press conference in Bengaluru that the PM should call an all-party meeting, because when the pride of the country is hurt, we all should remain united. We wanted that in this meeting the PM should talk about his plan and also take suggestions from the people," he said.

"Apart from this, we also called a CWC meeting, in which we had decided that we all are with the government. We had also said in the meeting that in this difficult time, we are with the government in any step taken by it."