SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has publicly accepted full responsibility for the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, describing the incident as a clear security failure. The attack, which occurred on April 22, 2025, claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
In an exclusive interview with the Times of India, Sinha acknowledged the gravity of the security lapses that allowed the terrorists to strike in a popular tourist area. “I take full responsibility for the incident, which was undoubtedly a security failure,” he said. He added that the location of the attack—a vast open meadow in Baisaran—posed significant challenges for security deployment, with no facilities or room for security forces to maintain a presence there at the time of the attack.
The Lieutenant Governor emphasised that the attack was a Pakistan-sponsored act aimed at creating communal divisions and destabilising Jammu and Kashmir’s economy. He noted that arrests made by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) suggest some local involvement but reaffirmed that the primary cause was inadequate security measures. “The intention of the neighbour (Pakistan) was to create a communal divide and trigger a backlash against the people of Jammu and Kashmir living in other parts of the country, adding to the feeling of alienation,” Sinha said, as per a report in India Times.
The Pahalgam attack has had a severe impact on the region’s tourism industry, with visitor numbers plummeting since the incident. Sinha stated that tourist destinations across Jammu and Kashmir will be reopened gradually, but only after implementing a robust security plan to prevent any recurrence.
The attack also prompted a strong military response from India, including Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Pakistan itself. Sinha praised these operations, describing them as a firm message to Pakistan that terror attacks will be met with decisive action.
Political reactions have been mixed. The Congress party criticised the central government for the security failure, pointing out that intelligence and security in Jammu and Kashmir fall under the Union Home Ministry’s jurisdiction. A Tribune report quotes Congress MP Manickam Tagore saying that the attack was “a direct failure of the Modi government” and called for accountability from the Home Ministry.
