Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled a scheduled visit to Jammu and Kashmir after receiving intelligence inputs about a potential terror attack, just three days before the April 22 Pahalgam incident which claimed 26 lives.

Speaking at the ‘Samvidhan Bachao’ rally here, he said he had read in a newspaper—and also received word from party sources—that the Prime Minister was alerted in advance but chose to call off only his own visit.

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“If he had the information, why weren’t arrangements made to protect ordinary people?” he asked.

Kharge said the government itself had admitted to a lapse in intelligence. “They said they would fix it. But why wait for tragedy? Why not act when you already know?”

But the BJP quickly pushed back. Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi called Kharge’s comments deeply irresponsible, especially at a time when the country is facing serious external threats.

“This kind of statement weakens the morale of our security forces,” Marandi said, accusing the Congress of playing politics when the nation needs unity. “The entire country is standing with Prime Minister Modi in the fight against terrorism. Kharge’s remarks were not only uncalled for—they were damaging.”

Back at the rally, Kharge didn’t hold back. He lashed out at the Centre for jailing Jharkhand’s elected Chief Minister, though he momentarily forgot his name during the speech. “You can try to scare tribals and the poor by throwing them in jail,” he said.

“But we won’t be scared. We come from hard-working communities that know how to stand their ground.”

He accused the Modi government of weakening the public sector and deliberately keeping government jobs vacant. “This government doesn’t want to fill vacancies because it wants to keep the poor under pressure,” he claimed, adding that he had written to the Prime Minister asking for the rollback of the 50% reservation cap.

Kharge also warned governors across the country not to delay assent to legislation passed by elected assemblies. “You must respect the people’s mandate,” he said, urging swift approval of pro-people laws. “If the government doesn’t listen now, it will regret it later.”

Other Congress leaders joined in. Alka Lamba said the Centre had admitted to a security failure in the Pahalgam attack, but hadn’t explained what steps were taken after the warning. MLA Pradeep Yadav said the rally was a wake-up call for the BJP and a reminder that India must be governed by the Constitution, not arbitrary power. Former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel spoke of the cultural ties between Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, urging people to stay united against injustice.

After the rally, Kharge held meetings with district presidents, party officials, and state leaders to chalk out the Congress’s strategy ahead.