Former Union home minister P. Chidambaram, in an interview with The Indian Express, said that the Indian government should first carry out a large-scale search to hunt the terrorists behind the attack. And after that, it should carefully review the lapses in the security of the tourists. He said the Pahalgam attack was a “failure of local intelligence sources”.
Chidambaram said that its is indeed difficult to police such a vast country or a sensitive state in the absence of local information/intelligence, and thus a thorough review of the information provided by the local sources is necessary. “It is for the government to weigh their options and choose the most effective one,” he said, adding that the Opposition will extend its full support to the government’s decision.
He further said that while most people agree on the need to fight terrorism, there are still a few who support violent actions. He warned that allowing or ignoring violence can create an environment where terrorism can grow. He stressed the importance of standing against both terrorism and violence in all forms and everywhere.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has called for an all-party meeting on Thursday, to which Chidambaram said that the party will express its views and opinions on the basis of facts and the information that has been collected.
Congress has also repeatedly demanded the Center to restore J&K’s statehood. When askd if that would stabilise Kashmir’s security situation, Chidambaram said that both are separate issues, but absolutely necessary. “Not restoring it breeds resentment. However, it has nothing to do with terrorist incidents,” he said.
He added that if in future Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood is restored, the responsibility will lie with the state government which might help in fighting terrorists in future.
