A day after his “not in favour of war with Pakistan” remark sparked a massive row, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah today clarified that he “never said we should not go to war”. The Congress veteran’s remarks have, meanwhile, drawn sharp responses from the BJP, with its leaders calling Siddaramaiah a “Pakistan Ratna” and pointing to Pakistan media reports about his remark.
“I never said we should never go to war with Pakistan, I just said war is not the solution. Protection should have been given to the tourists. Whose responsibility is this? I have said there has been a failure,” the Congress leader said. He added, “There is a failure of intelligence. The government of India didn’t provide ample security. As far as war is concerned, if it’s inevitable, we must go to war.”
Earlier, Siddaramaiah sparked a controversy when he said there is no need to wage a war against Pakistan. “Strict security measures must be initiated. We are not in favour of waging war. There should be peace, people must feel secure, and the central government should ensure effective security arrangements,” he said yesterday.
Pakistani media, including prominent news channel Geo News, covered the Karnataka Chief Minister’s remarks, describing them as “voices against war from within India”.
Sharing a clip from a Geo News bulletin, Karnataka BJP chief BY Vijayendra posted on X, “Big cheers for Wazar-e-Ala @siddaramaiah from far across the Borders! Pakistani media is all too praise for @siddaramaiah & visibly disappointed at the backlash he is receiving from BJP & others, for his comments against war with Pakistan.”
Referring to the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mr Vijayendra said, “Nehru was taken around in an open Jeep around the streets of Rawalpindi, as Pakistan was too happy with Nehru for signing the Indus Water Treaty that favoured Pakistan. Is Siddaramaiah going to be the next politician from India to be taken around in open Jeep in Pakistan?”
Mr Siddaramiah’s statements drew criticism from former Karnataka Chief Minister and BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa. “At a time when we need to stand united, Siddaramaiah’s statements are highly condemnable and childish. He should understand the reality and not make such comments when the nation is standing together. It doesn’t fare well for his position as Chief Minister. I condemn this. He should apologise to the people of the country and mend his ways,” he said.
R Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, described Mr Siddaramiah as “Pakistan Ratna”. “Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, you have become world famous in Pakistan overnight due to your childish and absurd statements,” he said.
The Chief Minister’s remarks have been panned by his party colleagues too. Congress leader HR Srinath said it is a “personal statement” and does not represent the party’s stand. “This is a personal statement by Siddaramaiah not that of the Congress party. All I want to say is that if you want to make such personal statements, you can resign from the party and the position of Chief Minister and go ahead. Rahul Gandhi and others have appealed for unity. Instead of following them, making personal comments is very wrong,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar refused to comment on Mr Siddaramaiah’s comments. “Congress Party has taken a stand against the terror strike. I don’t want to comment on what the CM said. You have to ask him about it,” he said.
The April 22 terror attack at Baisaran valley in Pahalgam left 25 tourists and a Kashmiri pony ride operator dead. The terror strike, which stood out in its brutality, has prompted calls for strong action against Pakistan, known to back terror acts in India. India has taken multiple steps in the aftermath of the terror attack, suspending the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan and visa services for Pakistani nationals. Pakistan, too, has warned of suspending all bilateral agreements.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers. “From Kargil to Kanyakumari, there is grief and rage. This attack was not just on innocent tourists; the country’s enemies have shown the audacity to attack India’s soul,” he said, adding that the terrorists who carried out the attack and those who plotted it would “get a punishment they cannot imagine”.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has said the government has the Opposition’s full support for any action.
