Tejas blames intel failure, security lapse for massacre
2
Patna: Leader of the opposition in state assembly,
Tejashwi Prasad Yadav
, on Thursday blamed the
Pahalgam terrorist attack
, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists on April 22, on a failure of intelligence and security, demanding that the Centre take responsibility.
"Despite Pahalgam being a high-security zone, why were there no security personnel near a place with around 2,000 tourists?" he asked.
Speaking at the Congress headquarters in Patna after chairing the first meeting of the opposition INDI Alliance coordination committee, formed to strategise and decide seat-sharing for the upcoming assembly elections, Tejashwi announced the next meeting would be held on May 4. All MPs, MLAs, MLCs and district office-bearers of the six alliance partners are expected to attend.
He also announced a candle march to be held across Patna and district headquarters on Friday evening in protest against the terror attack.
by Taboola
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The RJD leader demanded transparency on the findings of the 2019
Pulwama terror attack probe
. "There has been a huge
security lapse
. How did the terrorists cross the border? They must have conducted a recce before the Pahalgam attack, yet our security agencies had no clue," he said.
"Since 2014, there have been 3,982 terrorist incidents in J&K, resulting in the deaths of 413 civilians and 630 security personnel. Who is accountable for such grave negligence? Why have intelligence and surveillance mechanisms repeatedly failed against terrorists?" he questioned.
Tejashwi also criticised the state govt's response, claiming it had not issued a helpline to assist people from Bihar stranded in J&K.
"Instead, the Bihar govt is so occupied with the PM's rally that it has no time to look after its people," he said, accusing the BJP of giving a communal angle to the terror attack.
Those present at the coordination committee meeting and press conference included state Congress president Rajesh Kumar, AICC Bihar in-charge Krishna Allavaru, VIP chief Mukesh Sahani, Kunal of CPI(ML), Ram Babu Kumar of CPI and Lalan Chaudhary of CPM.
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