“Direct attack on the Indian state”: Congress calling CWC meet on Pahalgam

As the nation reels from the horrific terror attack on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the principal opposition party — the Congress — has condemned the incident in the strongest terms and announced a series of responses, including support for the government and the high-level party meeting on Thursday, 24 April.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet tomorrow, 24 April, at 11 a.m. in Delhi to deliberate on the situation.

“This is a direct attack on the Indian state. The whole country is shocked. The Pakistani terrorist organisation has taken responsibility for this. We will have to give a befitting reply to this,” Kharge said.

“Since the Chittisinghpura massacre in 2000, this ranks among the most brazen and outrageous attacks by terrorists. The perpetrators of this heinous terror attack must not go unpunished...

"The Government of India must talk to all political parties to ensure security in Jammu and Kashmir and make every possible effort to ensure the safety of tourists in the state.”

In a statement on X, Kharge said:

"The dastardly killing of innocent, unsuspecting tourists by terrorists in Pahalgam yesterday around 2:30 p.m. has deeply hurt, shocked, and saddened us all. The Congress Party unequivocally condemns this cowardly act of terror and those responsible for it in the strongest possible terms. This attack is a direct assault on the unity and integrity of our nation."

He added that he had, yesterday, spoken to home minister Amit Shah, chief minister Omar Abdullah as well as the Pradesh Congress chief of Jammu and Kashmir, besides other senior leaders.

"This is not a time for partisan politics," he insisted. "It is a moment for collective resolve to ensure justice for those who lost their lives and for their grieving families, by bringing the perpetrators of this terror attack to justice."

Kharge also said he had personally spoken with the grieving wives of the two victims from Karnataka, Bharat Bhushan and Manjunath, to offer his condolences.

Karnataka state cabinet minister for labour Santosh Lad is in Jammu and Kashmir, to support the nearly 200 tourists from the state who are there and to help them get back home.

The Congress president also spoke of the locals in Kashmir, and the plight this development places them in: "The summer season is just beginning. This is the time when tourists start visiting the region. Tourism is also the biggest source of income for Jammu and Kashmir's economy and its people. People of Kashmir depend only on tourism. So, this year’s economy is collapsed."

He called therefore on the Government of India to "help them now".

While reiterating unity across party lines — "At this moment, we all are one. We will be one against the terrorists." — Kharge also, in measured words, held the Union government accountable for the unfolding situation in the union territory, warning "There should not be claims without doing or without properly managing and finger-pointing."

While committing to cooperation with the Modi government in eliminating terrorism "from its roots", he added, "We also expect the government to hold discussions with all political parties to address the challenge of terrorism in a spirit of consensus once the necessary actions have been taken and full information has been obtained."

He looked ahead to the Amarnath Yatra, which begins in a couple of months, to say, "The government must do everything possible to maintain tourists’ confidence in the security arrangements of Jammu and Kashmir. The Amarnath Yatra is about to begin in a few days, and every year, lakhs of tourists take part in it. Earlier there have been such attacks in the Yatra also. So the Yatris should be protected well and security should be tightened."

For now, Kharge urged the government "to use all its strength to hunt down the terrorists. It has been almost 22 hours now".

Kharge also addressed media in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal meanwhile flew to the Kashmir valley to pay tribute to the victims. The attack, carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, has left the nation in shock.

“We must remain united — not just in grief, but in our unyielding resolve against terrorism,” said Venugopal. “My prayers are with the bereaved families. India will never forget,” he said.

Venugopal spoke of the air being "heavy with grief" in Kashmir — of "families torn apart, innocent lives cut short, dreams extinguished before they could bloom".

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has, meanwhile, cut short his trip to the US and is returning to India. He has spoken to Union home minister Amit Shah over the phone already and extended his support to the government.

The attack, which struck a major tourist hub in South Kashmir on Tuesday, 22 April, claimed at least 26 lives and injured several others. Home minister Amit Shah, in a brief statement, said the country will not be intimidated by such acts of terror.

He said, "This was not an attack on only tourists but on the peace and security of Kashmir. Decisive action will be taken."

Both the home minister and the lieutenant governor of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha have flown there from Delhi as well.

Meanwhile, defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high level meet with national security advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Indian Air Force air chief marshal A.P. Singh, Army chief General Upendra Dwiwedi and Navy chief Dinesh Tripathi in Delhi.

Earlier, Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the Congress parliamentary party had put out a statement calling for unity across party lines, saying "The entire country stands united against terror" and labelling the violence "an act of cowardice".

The statement added, "We need to work to build the broad consensus against terror that existed in the past.

"It is imperative that the safety of our citizens is ensured and peace is restored to the region."