Amid heightened political tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his remarks suggesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi had prior intelligence about the April 22 assault in Jammu and Kashmir. Prasad termed Kharge’s statement “unfortunate,” especially at a time when the nation is dealing with serious security challenges.
“What has happened to Kharge ji? On one hand, during the meeting, they say they are with the country, and on the other hand, they are alleging the PM skipped a Kashmir visit due to prior knowledge of the attack,” said Prasad. “We do not expect such things at this moment,” he added, referring to the prevailing border tensions.
#WATCH | On Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, "What has happened to Kharge ji…On one hand, during the meeting, they say that they are with the country and on the other hand, they are saying that the PM did not go to Kashmir because he was aware… pic.twitter.com/DcbBwdKfZg
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2025
Earlier on Tuesday, Kharge claimed that an intelligence input about a possible terror strike had reached the Prime Minister three days before the Pahalgam incident, prompting Modi to cancel a scheduled visit to the union territory. “There is an intelligence failure, the government has accepted it. If they knew this, why didn’t they act? I read that the PM skipped his Kashmir programme after receiving an alert,” said Kharge.
The Congress president also questioned the government’s preparedness despite the intel alert, asking why adequate arrangements weren’t made to prevent the attack that killed 26 people—mostly tourists—as terrorists opened fire in a crowded area.
Sources told India Today TV that in an all-party meeting held on April 24, the Centre admitted to lapses in local coordination. According to reports, the Baisaran area near Pahalgam—traditionally closed until the Amarnath Yatra—was opened by local authorities without informing central security forces.
Additionally, a PTI report cited intelligence inputs days before the attack, warning of potential strikes targeting tourists in hotel clusters located near Srinagar’s Zabarwan foothills.
The exchange has sparked further debate over intelligence sharing, coordination among agencies, and the political handling of internal security matters in sensitive border areas.
