New Delhi: Former Union Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram Wednesday said the terror attack in Pahalgam may have stemmed from a “failure of intelligence” at the local level.
Responding to questions from ThePrint, Chidambaram said that the attack, which occurred at the Baisaran meadows in the Pahalgam tourist resort Tuesday, also demonstrated that state and non-state actors responsible for terrorism have “not been entirely vanquished”.
“Obviously, there was a failure of intelligence. But the question is, at what level? I think in this case the ‘local’ intelligence/information sources failed to provide the information about the terrorists in the area. Of course, this has to be verified,” said Chidambaram, in response to a question about potential lapses behind the incident.
The veteran Congressman, who took over as Home Minister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government after the Mumbai terror attacks on 26 November 2008, said his first thought following the Pahalgam incident was that “state actors and non-state actors who commit terrorist acts have not been entirely vanquished. They are still there and raise their hands from time to time.”
Chidambaram, who has earlier criticised the absence of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from law and order review meetings in the Union Territory, reiterated that elected governments must be entrusted with such responsibilities.
“The Lt Governor has his own authority. The elected CM has his own authority, own sources of information, and own grip over the administration. In my view, it is always better to leave the subject of ‘law & order’ to an elected government,” said Chidambaram.
In a post on X dated 24 October last year, Chidambaram had commented on a photograph of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir presiding over a law and order review meeting, noting that “the elected chief minister is not present”.
“Whether he was invited or not, I do not know. Under the law applicable to J&K, police and public order are subjects reserved for the LG. The people have elected a chief minister and government to look after their security, among other things, but the chief minister has no authority. This is why J&K is described as half a state. The immediate restoration of full statehood to J&K is imperative,” he had posted.
Asked about potential measures the government might consider following the Pahalgam attack, Chidambaram said the Opposition was not in a position to recommend a course of action. He stated that it is for the ruling establishment to evaluate the options and select the most effective one.
“The Congress will support the government’s choice,” he added, echoing the stance of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Kharge had earlier stressed the need for a united political front to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice and to offer support to the bereaved families.
At a press conference, Kharge also urged the government to reinforce security arrangements ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra. In response to a specific question on this matter, Chidambaram said that officers on the ground must make operational decisions to ensure the safety of the yatra and the pilgrims.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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