The central government, during a closed-door all-party meeting held on Thursday, acknowledged security lapses in connection with the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, according to sources.
Government admits to security lapses during all party meet
A senior leader from the ruling alliance reportedly told Opposition members, “If there were no lapses, we wouldn’t be here. Something went wrong, and we need to identify where.”
The government convened the high-level meeting to brief Opposition leaders in the wake of the horrific terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of 26 people — mostly tourists — sparking widespread public and political outrage.
During the meeting, several Opposition leaders raised pressing questions about the apparent security failures. “Where were the security forces? Where was the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)?” they asked, according to sources.
In response, the government reportedly explained that local authorities had failed to alert central security agencies before opening the Baisaran area near Pahalgam in Anantnag district — a zone that usually remains off-limits until the annual Amarnath Yatra begins in June.
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Concerns were also voiced regarding the delay in emergency response. Officials stated that the site of the attack was a 45-minute uphill trek and that no established standard operating procedure (SOP) was in place to deal with such situations efficiently.
Kiren Rijiju says all parties stands united against terrorism
Addressing the media after the meeting, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said all parties had expressed solidarity and agreed to stand united in the fight against terrorism.
“All parties affirmed their support for the government. Every leader present conveyed, in one voice, that they stand by any steps the government may take. The meeting concluded on a positive and united note,” Rijiju said.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also voiced the Opposition’s support for the government in taking any necessary action in response to the attack. “Everyone condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The Opposition has extended its full support to the government,” he said.
Who attended the meeting?
Top government figures, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, were present at the meeting.
Chaired by Rajnath Singh, the session brought together key parliamentary leaders: JP Nadda (Leader of the House, Rajya Sabha), Mallikarjun Kharge (Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha), and Rahul Gandhi (Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha).
Other prominent attendees included Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), Praful Patel (NCP), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Sasmit Patra (BJD), Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu (TDP), Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Sudip Bandopadhyay (TMC), Premchand Gupta (RJD), T. Siva (DMK), and Ram Gopal Yadav (SP).
This meeting follows a longstanding tradition of bipartisan consultation during national security crises, similar to those seen after the Pulwama attack in 2019 and the India-China border tensions in 2020.
