'Initiate dialogue with Pak': Modi, Shah resignation sought for 'failure' to contain terrorism in J&K

By A Representative 

The Socialist Party (India) has issued a sharp critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their failure to contain terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a joint statement, Sandeep Pandey, General Secretary of the Socialist Party (India), and Shahid Saleem, Member of the National Committee, condemned what they termed the BJP’s "self-deceptive" and "short-sighted" approach to Kashmir. They said the government's policy decisions—including demonetisation and the abrogation of Article 370—have failed to bring peace to the region and have instead contributed to instability.

"The 22 April Pahalgam attack exposes the hollowness of the BJP’s claims of normalcy in Kashmir. The leadership has ignored ground realities and opted for symbolic gestures over real solutions," the statement read.

The party criticised the government’s "knee-jerk" retaliatory steps such as suspending the Indus Water Treaty and cutting off diplomatic ties with Pakistan, arguing that such moves are counterproductive and escalate tensions. Drawing a comparison with the government's muted response to the 2020 Galwan clash with China, they accused the BJP of selective nationalism driven by domestic political calculations.

Highlighting the risks of a nuclear conflict, the statement urged for diplomatic engagement with Pakistan, asserting that "dialogue, not war, is the only viable option."

The leaders called on Modi and Shah to accept moral responsibility for the intelligence failure and step aside to make way for a government willing to pursue peace through constructive talks.