Guwahati, April 25: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Borah launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union government on Friday, questioning its handling of national security following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 dead and over 20 critically injured.
Speaking at an election rally in Jorhat, Borah expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, while holding the government accountable for what he termed a “grave security lapse.” “We don’t want hollow speeches. We want justice for the families who have lost their loved ones,” he said. “The government must explain how terrorists breached the three-tier security in Jammu and Kashmir and entered Indian soil.”
Borah reaffirmed Congress’s unwavering stance against terrorism, citing the sacrifices of party leaders like Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. “We will never compromise on national security. The government must identify and punish all those responsible, including those who financed, armed, and sheltered the attackers,” he said.
In a show of solidarity, the Congress party organized a candlelight march in Jorhat to honour the victims and protest against the inhuman act of terror. The march saw the participation of senior leaders, including Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Titabar MLA Bhaskarjyoti Baruah.
Gogoi echoed Borah’s call for action. “We support the government in any strong step it takes against terrorism. But we also demand an inquiry into the apparent intelligence failure in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“A decisive and fitting response must be given to Pakistan, and those who aided the attackers must be exposed,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi added that the attack wasn’t just a lapse in security but a broader failure that endangered every Indian citizen. “This incident shows how fragile our internal security has become under the BJP rule. Every angle — from the route of infiltration to the source of weapons — must be probed thoroughly.”
He also criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for what he called “low-level politics” in the wake of the tragedy. “At a time when the nation is mourning, the CM is playing petty politics. This dishonours the martyrs of Pahalgam and their grieving families,” Gogoi said.
Both leaders emphasized unity across party lines in the fight against terrorism. “We, under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, are ready to cooperate with the government if it takes bold and effective action to uproot terrorism from the country,” Borah added.
