Bengaluru, Apr 27 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "fooling the people" by ignoring national security concerns following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, while Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar distanced himself from the remarks, saying his party had already made its stand clear on protecting the nation.

Addressing reporters here, Siddaramaiah lashed out at the Prime Minister for attending an election rally in Bihar instead of prioritising national security matters.

"The Prime Minister is fooling the people — putting a 'topi' on them," he alleged, adding that the government had failed to prevent the attack despite heightened tensions in Jammu and Kashmir.

Siddaramaiah termed the Pahalgam incident a "grave security lapse" and demanded stringent steps to strengthen the country's internal security apparatus. He cautioned the Centre against politicising national security issues for electoral gain and emphasised the need for unity and harmony at a time of heightened threat perceptions.

On the issue of illegal immigrants, Siddaramaiah assured that the Karnataka government would fully support the Centre’s efforts to identify and deport Pakistani nationals residing unlawfully in the state.

The Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, including several tourists, sparking nationwide outrage and a war of words between political parties.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar refrained from commenting on the Chief Minister’s criticism of the Prime Minister. “We want to keep this country united. So, whatever the Chief Minister has spoken, I don't want to comment on it. India has to be protected and my party has already taken a stand on it,” he said while speaking to reporters separately.

Shivakumar’s cautious approach reflects the Congress party's broader strategy to project unity on national security issues while navigating internal differences over political messaging.

Political observers noted that the sharp remarks by Siddaramaiah and the diplomatic stance adopted by Shivakumar underline the Congress leadership’s attempt to balance aggressive criticism of the Centre with a broader appeal for national unity during the ongoing election season.

UNI BDN ARN