Pahalgam: Siddaramaiah calls for probe into failures that led to terror strike, pledges support to fight terrorism

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday asked the state police to keep a tight vigil on foreign nationals overstaying in Karnataka as authorities step up surveillance in the wake of terror strike at Pahalgam in Kashmir.

Siddaramaiah pledged to work with the Centre to eliminate any traces of terrorism. He spoke to the media after paying respects to the mortal remains of Bharat Bhushan, a former software professional, in Bengaluru. Three men were from Karnataka among the 26 dead. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi paid tributes to the body of Manjunath Rao, another victim, in Shivamogga.

The Congress-ruled state passed a resolution at its special Cabinet meeting, held at MM Hills, about 210 km from Bengaluru, condemning the terrorist attack. The resolution called for effective and comprehensive investigation into the failures that led to the tragedy. It also urged the Centre to take steps to ensure such incidents do not repeat in future, while pressing for combined efforts to eliminate all kinds of ideology of terrorism.


Siddaramaiah, in a statement, said terrorism had no religion, and his government would assist the Centre in its efforts to combat terrorists. The Centre, the CM said, should not have let its guard down and ease the security as the region has witnessed similar incidents of terror in the past, citing the Pulwama attack. On the face of it, failure of intelligence was evident, he said.

The families of Rao and Bhushan performed their last rites in full police honours, which the government ordered. The third victim Madhusudan’s body was taken to his native village in Andhra Pradesh. The families of all the three would get Rs 10 lakh each as compensation, Siddaramaiah said.