Vijayanagara, Karnataka: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday termed Operation Sindoor a “small war” and sharply criticised the Centre for what he called a “failure to ensure the safety” of the 26 tourists who were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir’s Baisaran Valley.
Speaking at the Samarpane Sankalpa rally in Karnataka’s Vijayanagara, Kharge made shocking allegations that PM Narendra Modi had received an intelligence report three days before the Pahalgam attack and subsequently cancelled his scheduled visit to Kashmir.
Bengaluru, Karnataka: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge says, “Modi was supposed to visit Kashmir on 17th Jan. There was intelligence-based information that there was going to be unrest in Kashmir and cancelled the program. Modi knew this was bound to happen. Why didn’t… pic.twitter.com/w13RfJqfdK
— IANS (@ians_india) May 20, 2025
“I got information that three days before the attack, an intelligence report was sent to Modi ji, and that is why Modi ji cancelled his visit to Kashmir,” Kharge alleged. “When you received the alert and cancelled your trip, why didn’t you send additional forces to protect the tourists? Why were local police, intelligence, and border forces not alerted properly?” he questioned.
‘India is now alone!’
Kharge also slammed the Modi government’s foreign policy over the alleged lack of support from the global community in the face of the Pahalgam attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor.
“PM Modi has been making frequent foreign trips for the last 11 years, but our India is now alone! In the last 11 years, Prime Minister Modi has made 151 foreign trips and visited 72 countries. Out of these, he has visited the US 10 times. Yet, our country stands alone under the Modi government’s foreign policy. Is it the Prime Minister’s job to visit foreign countries and pose for photos?” Kharge wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
PM Modi has been making frequent foreign trips for the last 11 years, but our India is now alone!
In the last 11 years, Prime Minister Modi has made 151 foreign trips and visited 72 countries. Out of these, he has visited the US 10 times. Yet, our country stands alone under the… pic.twitter.com/0bsYCTlAVr
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 20, 2025
He further cited that the IMF has supported Pakistan by providing a loan of $1.4 billion.
Questioning the role of the US in the ceasefire, he wrote: “A ceasefire was suddenly declared while our brave Army was conducting operations against terrorists. The US President has insulted our country by saying, “I brokered” the ceasefire between India and Pakistan about 7 times. The entire country was united in the tough action against terrorists, but Modi ji is trying to cover up the issue by not providing clarity to the people of the country regarding US President Trump’s statements, so far.”
Kharge’s comments came a day after the Congress accused the BJP-led government of allegedly leveraging Operation Sindoor for political mileage in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections.
The April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which targeted a group of tourists, has reignited debate around the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, especially during the peak travel season.
