Trinamool targets Union Home Minister over Pahalgam terrorist attack

Trinamool Congress councillor Monalisa Banerjee with party supporters stage a protest over the Pahalgam terrorist attack, at Surendranath College in Kolkata on April 23, 2025.
| Photo Credit: ANI

In a departure from the stand taken by most of the political parties on the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the Trinamool Congress on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) targeted the Union Home Minister over the tragedy and held the Union government responsible for the attack which claimed 26 lives on Tuesday.

Several leaders of the ruling party criticised the Union government and said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah should accept responsibility for the failure to prevent the attack.

“Another terrorist attack in Kashmir, another failure on your watch, Home Minister Amit Shah. Innocent losing their lives in the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Where is your intelligence, where is your vigilance at the border, where is your security preparedness. where is your long term strategy to fight terrorism emanating from a rogue state like Pakistan,” Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said in a video statement.

Also read | Three from Bengal killed in Pahalgam terror attack, W.B. government reaches to bereaved families

Ms. Ghose said that the Home Minister should tell the nation what he intends to do. “Tell us what you have done. Tell the nation what you intend to do.. accept responsibility, accept accountability Home Minister Amit Shah,” she added. Her remarks were shared from the official X handle of the Trinamool Congress.

The West Bengal ruling party also said that the Centre was directly responsible for this security lapse and the sham of ‘safe Kashmir’ has been exposed. “In the wake of #PahalgamTerroristAttack, we express our deepest condolences to the grieving families from Bengal and across India. The Centre is directly responsible for this security lapse. They’ve failed to protect innocent lives. The sham of ‘safe Kashmir’ has been EXPOSED!,” the Trinamool Congress posted from its official handle.

Senior West Bengal Minister Aroop Biswas, who met with the relatives of the deceased tourists in Kolkata, said that those who make tall claims about the security of the country will have to answer why tourists were targeted.

“What is the government doing? At every step there was a lapse and because of that so many people were killed,” Mr. Biswas said at a press conference in Kolkata. Of the 26 tourists killed three were from West Bengal.

TMC questions Centre on vacancies in Army

The leaders of Trinamool Congress also raised questions on the vacancies in the army. “There is a shortfall of 7,799 officers and 1,08,685 soldiers in the Army; 1,446 officers and 12,151 sailors in the Navy; and 572 officers and 5,217 airmen in the Air Force. With threats like #PahalgamTerroristAttack, how can the Centre justify such dangerous gaps in our defence forces?” Trinamool said.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee said that her “heart goes out to the families of the victims of the devastating terrorist attack on the tourists in Jammu and Kashmir”.

Also read | Pahalgam terror attack: Who are the victims? Full list

She said that all “arrangements are being put up by our administration at Delhi Airport to help the family members of the victims and their onward journey to Kolkata”. The Chief Minister said that the flight [with the bodies of victims] is likely to arrive Kolkata on Wednesday evening.

“Our Resident Commissioner’s office in Delhi is in touch with the family members [of the victim]. I am personally overseeing and our senior officers are working hands on,” she added.