Congress distances itself from leaders’ remarks on Pahalgam attack, reaffirms CWC stand
New Delhi: Amid mounting criticism from the BJP over divergent statements by senior Congress leaders on the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, the Congress on Monday clarified that such remarks do not represent the party’s official position.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said the party's stance is outlined solely in the resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) two days ago. "Some Congress leaders have been speaking to the media. They speak for themselves and do not reflect the party’s views," he said.
The clarification came after a row was triggered by comments from senior party figures including Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Shashi Tharoor, Tariq Hameed Karra, and former Union minister Saifuddin Soz.
Last week, Siddaramaiah called for the implementation of strict security measures in response to the attack. The CWC, however, had described the Pahalgam incident as a “direct assault” on the values of the Indian republic and demanded a thorough investigation into possible intelligence failures and security lapses.
Reiterating the party’s official line, Ramesh emphasised that the views of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and authorised AICC office-bearers are the only ones that reflect the party’s position.
Meanwhile, Kharge criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for skipping the all-party meeting convened on the Pahalgam attack, accusing the BJP of fostering division in the country.
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Power bank catches fire inside stationary IndiGo plane at Chandigarh airport; all evacuated
New Delhi (PTI): The power bank of a passenger onboard a stationary IndiGo aircraft caught fire at the Chandigarh airport on Tuesday, and all passengers and the crew were evacuated, according to a source.
In a statement, the airline said that when IndiGo flight 6E 108 from Hyderabad to Chandigarh was stationary after landing, an incident involving a customer's personal electronic equipment catching fire was reported.
"In the interest of safety, an immediate evacuation was carried out, and all the relevant authorities were immediately informed. All customers have been safely moved to the terminal and are being attended to by the team to ensure their well-being," the statement said.
The source said that soon after the aircraft landed, there was smoke coming from one of the overhead bins and all onboard were evacuated.
The smoke was due to the power bank catching fire, the source said, adding that no one sustained major injuries.
Details about the number of passengers could not be ascertained.
