Kharge’s ‘PM Safe, Tourists Not’ Jab Sparks Outrage — Opposition Stoops to New Low

Harshita Rai
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 6th May: In the immediate aftermath of a devastating terror attack like the one in Pahalgam — which claimed the lives of 26 innocent people — what the nation needs most is unity, empathy, and strength. Unfortunately, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge chose this solemn moment not to console or unite, but to accuse and divide.

By alleging that the Modi government acted on intelligence to cancel the Prime Minister’s visit to Kashmir but failed to ensure the safety of tourists, Kharge has crossed a line. His claims are not only based on an unnamed newspaper report but ignore a key fact — the government has already admitted there were intelligence failures, in a rare and open acknowledgement at the recent all-party meeting.

When a country faces terror, mistakes are possible — even inevitable. The United States wasn’t spared during 9/11, nor was Israel during the 2023 Hamas assault. Terrorism is unpredictable, and security forces around the world are constantly racing against time and evolving threats. They need our support — not public finger-pointing based on partial information and political calculations.

More than anything, Kharge’s tone and timing are disturbing. To raise questions about the Prime Minister’s movements and suggest differential treatment when our soldiers are preparing for a likely retaliatory operation is not just insensitive — it’s dangerous. It chips away at the very trust and morale our forces need in moments like these.

One cannot say, “We support the government in action against Pakistan,” and in the same breath, attack the government’s intent and capability. That is not responsible opposition; it’s political posturing dressed up as concern.

Criticism, when done constructively and backed by facts, is a cornerstone of democracy. But using a tragedy to score political points — especially when families are still burying their loved ones — feels cruel. The nation is grieving. It needs solidarity, not shouting matches. It needs reassurance, not reckless rhetoric.

Kharge’s comments have also given Pakistan a ready-made narrative to exploit. And that hurts all of us — citizens, soldiers, and even his own party colleagues who know that some battles must be fought shoulder-to-shoulder, not across the aisle.

If the Congress truly believes in standing with the nation in times of crisis, it must show it — not just say it. Rahul Gandhi, too, must speak up and clarify whether this is the leadership the Congress wants to offer in such difficult times.

We owe the victims of Pahalgam better. We owe our soldiers better. We owe our democracy better.