New Delhi: Eighteen Opposition parties asked the government to introspect on its failure to prevent the “cowardly and ghastly” terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims despite advance intelligence inputs.
The Opposition parties, which met at Parliament Library to decide on their vice-presidential candidate, unanimously passed a resolution against terror strike, which they termed an attack on humanity and on India’s plurality and diversity. The gathering also observed two minutes of silence as a mark of respect.
Before the business of the meeting could start the resolution was placed which immediately passed. “The government needs to introspect as to why, despite advanced intelligence inputs, was there a failure to prevent this attack?” it said.
“We the leaders of the Opposition strongly condemn the cowardly and ghastly terrorist attack on yatris. This is an attack on humanity. This is an attack on the plurality and diversity of India. This is an attack on the human values and Kashmiriyat,” the resolution said.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi asked the Prime Minister to accept responsibility for the “grave and unacceptable security lapse”.
“This is a grave and unacceptable security lapse. The PM needs to accept responsibility and never allow it to happen again. India will never be intimidated by these terrorist cowards,” he tweeted.
All Opposition political party leaders have also condemned the attack on the yatris. In the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, which slated to start from July 17, the Opposition parties are expected to raise the issue to corner the government over the “security lapses”.
The Opposition meeting was convened by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and it included former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and H.D. Deve Gowda. Top Opposition leaders, including JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s Sudhakar Reddy, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, SP’s Naresh Agarwal, BSP’s Satish Chandra Misra, NC’s Omar Abdullah and NCP’s Praful Patel, attended the meeting. The meeting was also attended by Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ahmed Patel.
