Pahalgam attack probe: Congress, TMC slam centre over ‘lapses’, seek answers two months on
New Delhi: Two months after the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians, opposition parties have accused the Narendra Modi-led central government of serious lapses in the investigation and “headline management” over the release of terrorist sketches.
The Congress on Monday questioned the authenticity of the sketches released by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, reportedly based on a photo retrieved from the phone of a terrorist killed months before the Pahalgam attack. “This raises serious questions. Were these fake sketches part of a strategy to divert attention?” the party asked in a statement.
It further posed five questions to the government, including the delay in identifying the actual perpetrators, the source and accuracy of the released sketches, and the status of the investigation. “Who were the real attackers? Where are they now? Why haven’t they been brought to justice even after two months?” the party said.
The Trinamool Congress also hit out at the BJP government, saying, “Are these lives meaningless to you? The nation will not forget this abandonment,” in a post on X.
Meanwhile, the NIA on Monday confirmed the arrest of two locals, Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, for allegedly harbouring three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists involved in the attack. The agency said it has not reached any final conclusion regarding the identities of the terrorists and termed some media reports on the sketches “speculative and misleading.”
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
