After Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha admitted that the horrific Pahalgam terror attack was a result of a security lapse, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called for fixing responsibility for the incident in which 26 unarmed and innocent civilians lost their lives.
"It is better late than never," Omar said when asked to respond to the Lieutenant Governor's admission during an interview with a national newspaper. The Chief Minister stressed the need to hold people accountable for the barbaric act.
On April 22, terrorists linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), operating under the alias The Resistance Front, opened fire on tourists in J&K's Pahalgam after reportedly asking their religion. Twenty-six tourists from various parts of the country were killed in the attack.
The heinous terror strike was condemned globally and prompted India to take military action against terror camps in Pakistan.
"Who is responsible for this failure?" Omar asked pointedly while speaking to reporters. "If it is an intelligence failure, then who is responsible for that? It is not possible that 26 people lost their lives, and there is no accountability. Now that it is confirmed there was a lapse in security and intelligence, someone must be held accountable."
The Chief Minister's remarks come amid continued public outrage and grief over the tragic massacre in the tourist town of Pahalgam in South Kashmir, widely regarded as one of the deadliest such incidents in recent years.
LG Manoj Sinha admits grave security lapse
In an interview with a national daily, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha acknowledged that the Pahalgam terror attack constituted a grave security lapse and said he takes personal responsibility for the incident.
However, the LG added that the attack should not be interpreted as a sign of terrorism resurging in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sinha said the timing and location of the attack were deliberately chosen to sabotage Kashmir's booming tourism sector and derail its ongoing economic recovery.
In a veiled reference to Pakistan, the Lieutenant Governor said that the neighboring country aimed to create communal discord with the intention of provoking backlash against people from Jammu and Kashmir residing in other states across India.
He added that, cutting across party lines, all Kashmiris strongly condemned the Pahalgam attack and responded with unity to the forces inimical to peace and development in the region.
"A significant and profound transformation has taken place in Kashmir. I have completed five years here, and people say that even in the last fifty years, such a change has never occurred. On April 22, when innocent civilians were targeted in Pahalgam, the way Kashmir rose against barbarism, against terrorism, against Pakistan—I believe such a moment has never occurred in our history," LG Sinha said.
