Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 25: The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Friday strongly condemned the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, while warning the Union government against framing terrorism as a communal or Hindu-Muslim issue.

Addressing the media, CPI Parliamentary Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar criticised the all-party meeting convened in the aftermath of the deadly April 22 attack, alleging that it turned into a public relations exercise rather than a platform for building national consensus.

"Instead of fostering unity, the meeting served as a PR gimmick. The Prime Minister, who should have been present to lead and listen, chose instead to speak at a political rally in Bihar," said Kumar, expressing disappointment over the PM’s absence.

The CPI also objected to the exclusion of several key parties, including itself and the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), from the deliberations on the grounds that they did not meet the threshold of five MPs. “The CPI has consistently fought extremism across India, from Punjab to Manipur. To deny us a seat at the table raises questions on the government’s intentions,” Kumar said.

He further questioned the logic of excluding parties from smaller states. “Does that mean states from the Northeast with fewer than five MPs have no stake in national security? National interest cannot be reduced to arithmetic,” he remarked, adding that a party with just one MP was reportedly invited by the union home minister.

“This flawed approach reveals a fractured understanding of terrorism,” he asserted.

Raising serious concerns about possible security lapses in the Pahalgam attack, in which 26 lives were lost, the CPI leader pointed out that at least two of the attackers had infiltrated Indian territory days in advance. “How did armed infiltrators roam undetected? And how were nearly a thousand tourists allowed near a sensitive site so close to Srinagar, especially when combing operations were ongoing before the Prime Minister’s now-postponed visit on April 19?” he questioned.

The CPI also condemned the communal spin being given to the attack by certain media sections, which allegedly led to the killing of a young Muslim man in Agra. “This is exactly what terrorists want to divide the country along communal lines. Governments at all levels must remain alert and act swiftly against any such provocations,” Kumar urged.

The party called on the government to address terrorism with utmost seriousness and work to isolate its sponsors, rather than using the tragedy for political or communal gains.