After Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s belated “acceptance” of “security failure” in the Pahalgam terror attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday called for accountability for the April 22 tragedy that left 26 people – mostly tourists – dead.
“Better late than never, but this was a failure. Acknowledging it is the first step, but someone must be held responsible,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar while reacting to Sinha’s remarks made during an interview where he blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack to derail Kashmir’s economic progress and incite communal tensions.
On April 22, terrorists linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) front, The Resistance Front (TRF), opened fire on tourists after questioning their religion, in one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years. The assault drew widespread condemnation and prompted India to target terror camps across the border.
“If it was an intelligence failure, who then in the system is responsible,” Omar asked, adding, “It’s unacceptable that 26 lives were lost and yet there’s no accountability.”
Sinha, in his first direct admission of systemic failure, called the attack “a debilitating and deliberate strike on the nation’s soul,” citing a decline in local terrorist recruitment and reiterating the administration’s commitment to fighting terror.
Meanwhile, Congress lashed out at Sinha’s “much-delayed” response. “He finally takes responsibility after 82 days. Who is he protecting in Delhi,” asked party leader Pawan Khera on X, demanding the LG’s resignation.
Separately, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary demanded an apology from Sinha over the alleged police “manhandling” of Omar Abdullah on July 13. Omar had scaled the locked gates of Srinagar’s Naqshband Sahib’s graveyard to pay tribute to the 1931 martyrs after being denied entry.
“This wasn’t just an insult to Omar Abdullah, but to the Constitution and the democratic mandate of J&K,” Choudhary said, adding, “The LG must apologise not to us, but to the people of J&K and to the martyrs who fought for freedom.”
He also warned that just as the LG took 82 days to admit a security failure, “one day he will accept that what happened with Omar Abdullah was wrong too.”