The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp counterattack on Tuesday against Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, demanding an “unconditional apology” for his claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi received intelligence warnings prior to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed.
Senior BJP leader CR Kesavan likened Kharge’s statement to “treachery,” accusing him of playing politics over national security.
“He has made treacherous statements, similar to a modern-day Mir Jaffar. His toxic, baseless, unfounded rant against the Prime Minister is most deplorable. Mr. Kharge’s remarks are unpardonable, indefensible, and cannot be forgiven,” said Kesavan in a self-recorded video.
“He must come clean on what kind of inputs he received to make such outrageous remarks.”
BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla further accused the Congress of “vote bank politics”, alleging that the party’s recent remarks serve as propaganda fodder for Pakistan.
“Since some Pakistani YouTubers were banned in India, Congress leaders have started creating content for them. First it was Charanjit Singh Channi questioning surgical strikes; now it’s Kharge. At all-party meetings, they claim to stand with the country, but once outside, it’s vote bank politics again.”
The backlash comes after Kharge, while addressing a ‘Samvidhan Bachao’ rally in Jharkhand, alleged that PM Modi had cancelled a visit to Kashmir based on advance intelligence inputs that warned of a possible attack—yet no preventive action was taken to protect civilians.
“I have received information that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to the Prime Minister. Based on that, he cancelled his program to visit Kashmir. If the government had this warning, why wasn’t anything done to protect the people?” Kharge questioned.
Despite the criticism, Kharge reaffirmed the Congress party’s support for any strong actions taken against Pakistan, stating that “the country comes first.”
“We will stand with the government in any action against Pakistan. We have made sacrifices for the nation. National security is above politics.”
The Pahalgam attack on April 22 triggered nationwide outrage and renewed tensions between India and Pakistan. In response, the Indian government initiated strong diplomatic steps, including placing the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, in an effort to increase pressure on Pakistan for its alleged support of cross-border terrorism.
Key Developments:
- No official confirmation has been made by the government on Kharge’s intelligence claim.
- BJP insists the Congress narrative undermines national interest.
- Congress maintains its critique is based on media reports and public accountability.
As the political clash intensifies, both parties face growing pressure to align on national security issues without compromising public trust or institutional integrity.