Centre Admits That There Was A Security Lapse In Pahalgam

In a significant admission, the central government acknowledged a security lapse during the recent Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. The statement came during an all-party meeting held in the capital on Thursday, convened by the NDA government in the wake of the tragedy.

The meeting, chaired by senior ministers and attended by leaders from across the political spectrum, was aimed at briefing the parties on the situation and discussing the way forward. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed that intelligence and home ministry officials provided detailed inputs on the attack.

#WATCH | Delhi: After the all-party meeting, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju says, “…Everyone has agreed that India should fight against terrorism unitedly. India has taken strong action against terrorism in the past and will continue to do so. This has been discussed in the… pic.twitter.com/KpL25kFDoN

— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2025

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“There was a lapse, and the parties were informed of it,” Rijiju said, adding that the attack took place in a remote meadow, away from the main road. He assured that steps were being taken to plug security gaps and prevent such incidents in the future.

United in Condemnation

Leaders from all major parties, including the Congress, AAP, TMC, and others, expressed solidarity with the victims and reiterated their support to the government in the fight against terrorism. Rahul Gandhi, who attended the meet, raised concerns over inadequate security deployment in the area. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed this, criticising the delayed response after the attack.

Despite the consensus on national unity against terrorism, opposition leaders, including Sanjay Singh and Sudip Bandyopadhyay, expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence. They urged him to convene a meeting with party heads to personally address the crisis and future strategy.

The government maintained that the attack was designed to derail peace and progress in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly at a time when tourism was recovering. It reassured all parties that security operations were ongoing and a robust response was underway.

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