CPI Warns Government Against Communalizing Terrorism

Synopsis
On April 25, the CPI condemned the Pahalgam terror attack while warning the government against framing terrorism as a Hindu-Muslim issue. CPI leader P. Sandosh Kumar criticized the all-party meeting for failing to promote unity and raised concerns about security lapses surrounding the attack.
Key Takeaways
- CPI condemns Pahalgam terror attack.
- Calls for unity, warns against communal narratives.
- Criticism of the all-party meeting's effectiveness.
- Concerns over security lapses prior to the attack.
- Media's role in communalizing tragedies condemned.
New Delhi, April 25 (NationPress) The CPI on Friday expressed its disapproval of the Pahalgam terror attack while warning the government against interpreting terrorism through a communal or Hindu-Muslim lens.
Rajya Sabha member and CPI Parliamentary Party Leader P. Sandosh Kumar added a political dimension to the all-party meeting convened post-attack, claiming it represented a missed chance to promote national unity.
"Rather than creating a consensus, the meeting turned into a public relations stunt. The Prime Minister, as the government’s leader, should have participated, articulated his thoughts, and genuinely engaged with the discussion. Instead, he opted to speak at a political rally in Bihar," he stated.
The CPI also voiced its concern regarding the exclusion of several parties from the Thursday meeting. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), the dominant party in J&K, along with the CPI—known for its long-standing opposition to extremism from Punjab to Manipur—were omitted due to not having five MPs.
"It seems that the Union government perceives terrorism as a communal and Hindu-Muslim phenomenon, resulting in selective invitations and the exclusion of genuinely secular entities like the CPI,” asserted the RS member.
Critiquing the seemingly selective invitations for the all-party meeting, the CPI leader remarked, "Should states in the Northeast with fewer than five MPs be excluded from discussions on terrorism? National interests cannot be compromised by numerical calculations."
He further noted that a party with just one MP was invited to the all-party meeting, allegedly at the behest of the Home Minister.
"This illustrates the Union government’s fractured understanding of the situation and terrorism. This erroneous criterion defies reason," stated Sandosh Kumar.
Calling on the government to approach terrorism with utmost seriousness and take decisive action against its sponsors, the CPI raised alarms regarding security and intelligence oversights linked to the Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives on April 22.
Reports indicate that at least two terrorists infiltrated Indian territory days prior to the incident. "How did heavily armed infiltrators go undetected? How were nearly a thousand tourists permitted at a vulnerable location just 100 km from Srinagar while heightened security and combing operations were in effect ahead of the Prime Minister's now delayed visit on April 19?" questioned Sandosh Kumar.
The CPI also denounced efforts by parts of the media to communalize the tragedy, which led to the death of a young Muslim man in Agra.
"This is precisely what the terrorists desire—to sow division in India. The Union and state governments must remain alert and act promptly to avert any communal tensions," he added.