K'taka CM takes u-turn, says war should be waged with Pak only when unavoidable

Bengaluru(The Uttam Hindu): Taking a U-turn following the backlash over his remarks against going to war with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack which claimed 26 lives, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Sunday that war should be waged only when unavoidable. Responding to a media query about discussions surrounding his statement that "war is not needed," CM Siddaramaiah clarified in Bengaluru that war should be waged only when it becomes absolutely unavoidable.

"War cannot offer a solution. It should be considered only when there is no other option," he said. He also added, "I have pointed out that there has been a failure in the security system under the Central government. Twenty-six tourists lost their lives in a terrorist attack. Earlier, in the Pulwama attack, 40 soldiers were martyred. The Central government did not provide adequate security." Siddaramaiah emphasised, "Immediate war is not necessary, but that does not mean war should never happen if it becomes inevitable."

Reacting to the debate on waging a war against Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists, the Chief Minister said on Saturday that at this time there is no necessity to wage a war against Pakistan. Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah said, "There is no necessity 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."

When asked about the Central government admitting to a security lapse in Pahalgam, the Chief Minister added, "I have spoken the truth regarding the security lapse behind the Pahalgam terror attack. Proper security arrangements should have been made. That was a tourist spot visited by a large number of tourists. In the same region, at Pulwama, 40 soldiers were killed earlier. They should have been extremely careful."

He also said, "There was both an intelligence failure and a security failure. The people believed they were safe, but the Central government could not provide them security. The people trusted them, but the Central government failed."

"Whatever action they may take now, will the 26 people who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack return?" CM Siddaramaiah asked. Following the Pakistan media raking up the comments of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on not going to war with them over the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, the Karnataka BJP has slammed the CM, saying that he is behaving like a puppet of the enemy nation.

Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, shared the video of a Pakistani news channel airing CM Siddaramaiah's statement on his X account. Calling him "Pakistan Ratna", Opposition leader Ashoka wrote on X, "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, You have become world famous in Pakistan overnight due to your childish and absurd statements."