In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack — the deadliest assault on civilians in India since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks — Congress MP Shashi Tharoor urged a measured response and warned against hastily assigning blame amid the ongoing crisis.
Acknowledging security lapses while calling for a broader perspective, Tharoor compared the situation to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and pointed out that even the world's best intelligence services can be caught off-guard.
#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | On the Pahalgam terror attack, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, “Obviously, there was no full proof intelligence. There was some failure… But we have got the example of Israel, the world’s best intelligence services according to everybody,… pic.twitter.com/v0SMkULt6i
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2025
Tharoor stressed that no nation is completely immune to terror attacks and suggested that failures must be assessed after the crisis has been addressed. Although the Congress party has mounted a fierce political attack on the BJP for what it described as serious intelligence and security lapses, it has also extended unconditional support to the government in its efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The National Investigation Agency has intensified its probe by examining eyewitness accounts and forensic evidence, while the Jammu and Kashmir Police have continued combing operations in the dense forests around Pahalgam and demolished six houses linked to suspected militants.
In retaliation for the attack, India has suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, expelled Pakistani diplomats, and shut down the Attari-Wagah border crossing, while directing all Pakistani nationals to leave within 48 hours. Islamabad has called India's suspension of the treaty an "Act of War" and threatened to terminate all bilateral agreements, including the Simla Agreement.