Congress leaders held an emergency Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Thursday at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi to discuss the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that claimed 26 lives.
The CWC, the party’s highest decision-making body, expressed deep sorrow and strong condemnation of the attack, calling it a “cowardly and calculated act of terror” that was allegedly masterminded by Pakistan. In its official resolution, the party said the attack was a direct assault on the values of India and aimed at inflaming communal tensions by targeting Hindu tourists.
Party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other senior leaders observed a moment of silence for the victims. They also paid tribute to the local ponywalas and tourist guides, one of whom died while protecting tourists.
While expressing unity and solidarity with the victims’ families, the Congress also criticized the ruling BJP. The party accused the BJP of using the tragedy to spread division through social media, rather than uniting the country in the face of terror.
Congress also raised serious concerns over what it called “evident” security and intelligence failures. The CWC pointed out that Pahalgam is a heavily guarded area and demanded a thorough investigation into how such a major attack could occur in a Union Territory, which falls directly under the control of the Union Home Ministry.
Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal said the party, as a responsible opposition, is seeking answers about the security lapses. He announced that Congress would organize candlelight marches nationwide on April 25 to honor the victims and protest against terrorism.
The CWC also highlighted the upcoming Amarnath Yatra and stressed that ensuring the safety of pilgrims must be treated as a national priority. It urged the government to put in place strong and transparent security measures to protect both tourists and the livelihoods of the local people who depend on tourism.
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