New Delhi: Was the Baisaran meadows opened to tourists by local authorities without clearance from security agencies?
The Centre has admitted to several security lapses that may have led to the terror strike in Pahalgam on Tuesday, leaving 25 tourists from across the country dead and several injured, at the All-Party Meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Thursday.
“If nothing had gone wrong, why would we be sitting here? There have been lapses somewhere that we have to find out,” India Today reported, quoting Amit Shah.
The Opposition leaders had several questions, primarily dealing with lack of security at the remote tourist site that is not accessible by vehicles.
Shah reportedly informed the Opposition leaders that the local administration had opened the Baisaran meadows to tourists without clearance from security and intelligence agencies. This was clearly done to attract more tourists to Pahalgam. Normally, Baisaran remains out of bounds to tourists till after the Amarnath Yatra starts.
Before the Amarnath Yatra, extensive sanitization is carried out in the area by security forces and deployment of forces is heavy.
The Government apparently said that Baisaran is a 45-minute uphill walk from Pahalgam and there was no Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in place as security agencies had not been informed that the meadows are being thrown open to tourists.
The Centre also informed the Opposition of intelligence reports of a possible terror strike that was not too specific.
In the end, all Opposition parties, including the Congress and the BJD, assured support to the government in whatever steps it takes to punish those involved in the gruesome attack and ensure national security.
