Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 27 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday clarified his earlier statement about war, asserting that while he had said war with Pakistan was inevitable, he had never advocated for it. “I said that war is inevitable, but it must be conducted with Pakistan. However, I did not say that there should be no war. It is the central government’s responsibility to ensure security, as 26 people lost their lives in the recent attack. What I actually meant was that war should not happen immediately,” Siddaramaiah explained to the media.
On April 26, the Chief Minister had stated that he was not in favor of war with Pakistan, expressing concern about a “security lapse” that led to the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed. He stressed the need for enhanced security measures in the Kashmir valley to ensure peace.
“There was a security lapse in this incident. We are not in favor of war. Steps should be taken to tighten security in Kashmir. The central government should bolster security to ensure peace in the region,” Siddaramaiah said during his address to reporters.
The Chief Minister also confirmed that his government would take appropriate actions to ensure that Pakistani nationals residing in the state would be sent back in accordance with central government instructions. “We will take steps to send back Pakistani citizens as per the central government’s directives. We will gather information about the number of Pakistani nationals residing in various cities of the state,” he added.
Siddaramaiah’s remarks attracted strong criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The nation continues to mourn the tragic loss of 26 lives in the terrorist attack in the Pahalgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, which also left many others injured. (ANI)
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