As horrifying details of the Pahalgam Terror attack surfaced online and visuals of grief-stricken tourists wailing for their loved ones went viral, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday condemned the attack and admitted it was religiously motivated.
Owaisi admitted that terrorists targeted tourists after determining their religion, but in his characteristic antagonistic style, he blamed the centre for the attack, calling the incident a clear-cut case of “intelligence failure” and demanding immediate accountability.
Calling the attack “more dangerous, condemnable, and painful” than the infamous tragedies of Uri and Pulwama, Owaisi pulled no punches. “The terrorists indiscriminately killed innocent people after asking about their religion. We strongly condemn this,” he said, his voice echoing a nation’s mourning anger.
He warned that the government’s much-touted deterrence policy needs urgent re-evaluation. “The Modi government must assess whether its strategy is actually working or just a hollow slogan. This isn’t just another attack. This is a massacre,” he stated.
Owaisi’s reaction comes in the wake of a raft of videos and pictures online, including eyewitness accounts elaborating on how the terrorists checked ID cards and forced tourists to strip down in order to determine their religion, before finally shooting them.
Owaisi emphasised that the perpetrators, who he claimed came from across the border, had one chilling objective: to sow terror and divide Indians along religious lines. Yet again, he insisted, the system failed to preempt the threat.
Still, amid the outrage, Owaisi struck a note of resolve: “We hope the government will ensure justice for the victims’ families and teach these terrorists a lesson they won’t forget.”
