Nation Stands United: All-Party Meet Condemns Pahalgam Terror Attack

In the wake of the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, the Central Government convened an all-party meeting at the Parliament Annexe to discuss the national response. The meeting saw participation from senior ministers including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar. 

As a mark of respect, a two-minute silence was observed in honour of the lives lost.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed this sentiment, confirming that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting and reiterated the need to preserve peace in Jammu and Kashmir. “Every party stood united in condemning the incident,” siad Kharge. 

Following the meeting, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that the entire political spectrum had unanimously condemned the attack. “The opposition has extended full support to the government for any action it wishes to take,” he stated.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh voiced the public’s growing frustration and grief, stating, “The country is angry. We expect the government to retaliate in the language the terrorists understand. Their camps should be destroyed, and action must be taken against Pakistan.” He also raised serious concerns about security lapses, revealing that the area where the attack took place had reportedly been reopened on April 20 without the knowledge of security agencies. “We demand accountability. Why wasn’t the security apparatus informed?” he questioned.

TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay confirmed that the topic of security lapses was thoroughly discussed. “We assured the government of our support in any step it takes for the interest of the nation,” he said.

The terror strike occurred at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, where terrorists targeted a group of tourists, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen. Several others were injured in the assault, which marks one of the deadliest attacks in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama tragedy that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel.

Earlier in the day, Amit Shah and Dr. Jaishankar met President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan to brief her on the attack.