Kolkata, Jul 19 (PTI) TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday accused the Centre of an “intelligence failure” in the Pahalgam terror attack and blamed it for the “decline” in India’s foreign policy.
According to sources close to the TMC national general secretary, Banerjee raised the matter during the INDIA bloc’s online meeting, which was convened to firm up the joint opposition strategy for the Monsoon session of Parliament beginning Monday.
“During the INDIA bloc meeting, Banerjee raised the Pahalgam issue. He said it was clearly an intelligence failure. Even the governor has admitted the same. Then why was the IB chief given an extension? What was the compulsion?” a source close to the Diamond Harbour MP told PTI after the meeting.
He also alleged that Pegasus spyware, instead of being used to combat terrorism, was being deployed to intimidate opposition leaders.
“Pegasus is being used by the government to harass the opposition instead of using it to stop terrorism and nab terrorists,” the source added.
Banerjee voiced concern over what he termed a “steep decline” in India’s foreign policy over the past decade, pointing out the absence of explicit condemnation from ASEAN nations against Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack.
“In the meeting, Banerjee said the last 10-12 years of India’s foreign policy have witnessed a big decline. It is in bad shape. Why did no ASEAN country name Pakistan while condemning the dastardly Pahalgam attack?” the TMC leader is learnt to have said during the virtual meet.
He also criticised the Modi government’s communication strategy after the terror strike, saying Indians were forced to rely on US President Donald Trump’s social media accounts for updates.
“Such is the sad state of affairs that people of India had to look to Donald Trump’s social media handles and accounts to get updates because they were kept in the dark by this government at the Centre,” the source quoted Banerjee as saying.
He questioned the government’s decision to send parliamentary delegations abroad to brief stakeholders while allegedly withholding information from citizens at home.
“After Pahalgam, MPs delegations were sent to various countries. What good did it do? How many countries came out in our support? Instead of briefing its own people, the Modi government sent MPs to brief stakeholders abroad. The government kept the people of India in the dark,” Banerjee said, according to the source.
During the meeting, he also raised the issue of Special Intensive Revision, which he said the BJP and EC is using as a form of backdoor NRC.
“Four months after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP added 40 lakh voters in Maharashtra to win the Assembly polls. They are trying a similar thing in Bihar. In Bengal, they are trying to remove genuine voters. BJP is using E square (E2) to attack — ED for opposition leaders and EC for voters,” a source close to Banerjee said.
Twenty-four parties, including the Congress, TMC, DMK, RJD, SP, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT), JMM, CPI-M, CPI, CPI-ML, Forward Bloc, IUML and Kerala Congress, participated in the deliberations. PTI PNT MNB
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