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LG Sinha said the Pahalgam terror attack was the result of a security failure and took full responsibility for the incident, prompting opposition parties to demand his resignation.
J&K CM Omar Abdullah and LG Manoj Sinha. (PTI/File)
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah responded to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for taking responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, saying it was “better late than never” and calling for holding people accountable for the barbaric incident.
On April 22, terrorists linked to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), called The Resistance Front, opened fire on tourists in J&K’s Pahalgam after asking their religion, killing 26 people. The dastardly terror attack was globally condemned and prompted India to take military action against terror camps in Pakistan.
‘I Take Full Responsibility’
In an interview with the Times of India, LG Sinha said the attack was undoubtedly the result of a security failure, and took responsibility for it. He called the Pahalgam incident a Pakistan-sponsored terror attack which aimed to create a communal divide in India.
“What happened in Pahalgam was very unfortunate; innocent people were brutally killed. I take full responsibility for the incident, which was undoubtedly a security failure. The common belief here has been that terrorists do not target tourists,” he said.
This was the first time that Sinha blamed the security agencies for the terror attack. “Pakistan-sponsored terror attack. The arrests made by NIA in the case corroborate local involvement but it would still be wrong to conclude that the security environment in J&K stands completely vitiated. The attack was a debilitating and deliberate strike on the nation’s soul,” he added.
‘Better Late Than Never’
Reacting to Sinha’s statement, CM Omar Abdullah said, “Better late than never, but this was a failure. The first issue is acknowledging the failure, and the second is holding people accountable.”
“If it is an intelligence failure, who is responsible for it? It is not possible that 26 people lost their lives, and there is no response from our side. Now that we know that there has been a failure in security and intelligence, someone has to be held responsible?” he added.
#WATCH | Srinagar, J&K: On the Pahalgam attack, CM Omar Abdullah says, “… Who is responsible for this failure? If it is an intelligence failure, then who is responsible for this? It is not possible that 26 people lost their lives and there is no response from our side. Now that… pic.twitter.com/AJnx5cxeAD— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2025
Meanwhile, the Congress said the “much-delayed” acceptance of responsibility by Sinha was an insult to the innocent tourists and called for his resignation.
“He finally takes responsibility for ‘Pahalgam’ after 82 days of the attack. In doing so, who is he protecting in Delhi? How many days, weeks, months to also be held accountable and resign or get sacked?” said Congress leader Pawan Khera on X. “Who is the LG protecting? Where is the accountability?” he also asked.
India targeted nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of ‘Operation Sindoor’ in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, sparking four days of retaliatory attacks from across the border that brought the two nuclear powers on the brink of war.
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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Srinagar, India, India
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