Patna, Apr 24 (PTI) RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cancelled his scheduled tour of Uttar Pradesh in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack but, visited Bihar where “assembly elections are round the corner”.

Talking to reporters after a meeting of Mahagathbandhan leaders in the state, the former deputy CM also charged the BJP with giving communal colour to the terror strike in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed on Tuesday.

The leader of the opposition sought to know what steps the NDA government has taken to bring back migrants and tourists from the state, who were stuck in Jammu and Kashmir.

“At the meeting, we passed a resolution condemning the Pahalgam terror attack. We will also take out candlelight marches across the state tomorrow,” Yadav said.

Alleging that the terror strike was the result of a “big intelligence failure”, he wondered how the terrorists entered the union territory and reached Pahalgam without being intercepted and who would take responsibility for the incident.

The attackers must have also conducted a recce of the spot, but they could not be stopped, said Yadav.

“The PM cancelled his scheduled visit to Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. But he visited Madhubani to address a public rally and inaugurate projects ahead of assembly polls despite the nation being in mourning,” he said.

The assembly elections in the state are due later this year.

“We know that he will keep coming to Bihar as elections are approaching fast. One thing I must say is that BJP leaders should not give communal colour to the Pahalgam terror attack,” said Yadav.

Lieutenant Vinay Narwal is one of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and his sister revealed that her brother was alive for one-and-a-half hours after he was shot, the RJD leader claimed.

“Lt Narwal’s sister has questioned where the Army was…. Where was help? Nobody came while he was still alive. We are also asking the same question – where were the security personnel? The Pahalgam attack raises major questions on security and intelligence failure,” Yadav said.

The BJP-led Central government has been using federal agencies against opposition leaders but not to apprehend terrorists, he alleged.

“We also want to know from the Bihar government about the steps that are being taken to bring back migrants and tourists from Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Yadav said, “The terrorist attack in Pahalgam has left many tourists and migrant labourers from Bihar stranded in Kashmir. What is the state government doing to bring them back?” To a question on the CM face of the Mahagathbandhan, Yadav did not give a direct reply.

“There is no confusion over the issue,” the RJD leader said.

The next meeting of the Mahagathbandhan leaders will be held on May 4 in Patna, which will be attended by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, MLAs and district presidents of all partners of the bloc.

The Mahagathbandhan in Bihar comprises the RJD, Congress, CPIML(L), CPI, CPI(M) and Viaksheel Insaan Party (VIP). PTI PKD NN