Amit Shah must take responsibility for Pahalgam terror attack: VCK chief

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan on Wednesday demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah step down from his post after 26 tourists were killed in a terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Kashmir.

In a statement, he condemned the attack and said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been denied their basic rights even after elections were conducted in 2024, and claimed that the incident throws light on the complete failure of the intelligence and security apparatus of the Indian state.

“Many political leaders are kept under house arrest. However, the Modi government claims that democracy and peace have fully returned to Jammu and Kashmir. When Union Home Minister Amit Shah went to Jammu and Kashmir a few days ago, he said that terrorism has been completely eliminated. Yet, within a few days, this terrorist attack has taken place,” he said.

When the Mumbai attacks happened in 2008, the then Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil resigned, taking responsibility, and similarly, Mr. Shah should also take responsibility now and resign from his post.

Mr. Thirumavalavan said that the Union government must respond to the criticisms made by General G.D. Bakshi, who claimed that the reduction of military personnel by nearly 1.8 lakh, and the deployment of the same group to monitor two regions, contributed to the recent terror incident.

“Not just in Kashmir, the BJP has destroyed peace in Manipur as well and turned it into a violent jungle. The Union government must take precautionary steps to ensure such attacks don’t happen in future, and Amit Shah should immediately resign,” he said.