New Delhi, Apr 24 (PTI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the opposition raised the issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence at Thursday’s crucial all-party meeting on the Pahalgam terror attack as well as the “security lapse” in the incident but extended full support to the government in dealing with terrorism.

Kharge said everyone present at the meeting condemned the attack, which claimed 26 lives, and opposition parties asserted that they will fully cooperate with the government on this issue to give a message that the country is united.

Addressing reporters after the all-party meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Kharge said the Congress pointed out that PM Modi should have joined the meeting because he has the power to take the final decision.

“We emphasised that his (PM’s) presence is important as he can take decisions but they (government) said that they will explain (or brief) later. We said explaining is one thing and taking a decision by hearing things first hand is another,” the Congress president said.

“Secondly, we raised the question about the security lapse… There is three-tier security but in spite of that, how did such a lapse take place and a lot of innocents have died,” Kharge said.

He said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi pointed out that if so many people had gone to the Baisaran, then police should have known.

Gandhi raised the issue of security lapse, Kharge said.

“It was said in one voice that whatever action the government takes in the interest of the country, we are together and will support the government. We will cooperate on this issue to give a message that the country is united,” the Congress chief said.

He said the issue of the Amarnath Yatra was also raised and it was stressed that precautions should be taken.

Kharge said the issue of attempts at polarisation being made, especially on social media, was also raised during the meeting.

Targeting Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack, India on Wednesday downgraded diplomatic ties with it and announced a raft of measures, including expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 and immediate shutting down of the Attari land-transit post.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by PM Modi. PTI ASK DIV DIV