Bengaluru, April 23 : Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Wednesday urged the central government to take swift action in response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara said, 'The central government must act decisively and ruthlessly. This is a question of our nation and our communities. Additional steps must be taken to ensure such incidents are not repeated. These are my demands to the Centre.'

He emphasised that national security should transcend political affiliations. 'This is not about the Congress, the BJP, or any political party. It is a matter of national interest and the safety of our citizens. Political point-scoring is inappropriate at a time like this.'

Parameshwara also flagged concerns about possible internal collusion in the attack. 'Whether local support was involved or not, it must be thoroughly investigated and dealt with strictly,' he said.

He added, 'I deeply condemn this act of terror in Kashmir. I pray for the souls of the 26 victims and extend my heartfelt condolences to their families. Among them were two people from Karnataka. What's deeply disturbing is that we believed our military intelligence was capable and robust.'

He acknowledged that while intelligence agencies have been effective in many instances, the failure in this case was glaring. 'How did these terrorists manage to infiltrate? Where did they come from? These are serious questions the central government must address urgently.'

Parameshwara noted that this was the most severe attack since the Pulwama incident. 'There have been sporadic incidents and casualties among our forces, but nothing on this scale in recent times.'

He alleged that the attackers deliberately targeted Hindu tourists. 'We have information that the assailants told victims they were being killed because they were Hindus. This is both shocking and disturbing. Similar targeting has occurred in the past too.'

Calling for a strong response, he said, 'Those responsible must be identified and punished without delay. The government must treat this matter with utmost seriousness and respond with the full force of the state.'

On intelligence lapses, Parameshwara remarked, 'When intelligence fails, security lapses follow. The terrorists seem to have bypassed surveillance, pointing to a grave breach.'

Describing the brutality of the attack, he said, 'The terrorists displayed unimaginable cruelty, allegedly forcing victims to strip and subjecting them to inhumane treatment. This level of barbarity is unprecedented. The Centre must act with urgency.'

He informed that the Karnataka government was already taking action. 'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has sent a team led by Minister Santosh Lad to Kashmir. We will ensure full support to all affected tourists from Karnataka.'

In response to a question, Parameshwara said, 'If I wanted to blame the BJP, I would have said so directly. But this is not the time for the blame game. We must rise above politics and act unitedly in the nation's interest.'

/IANS