New Delhi [India], April 27 (ANI): Following Congress's rhetoric calling out the Union Government over 'lapses' leading to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari on Sunday accused the Congress of playing the 'good cop, bad cop' game.

Bhandari expressed his concern that while Congress showed support in the all-party meeting on Thursday, some of its leaders have made statements that undermine the severity of the attack and, according to him, offer cover fire to Pakistan.

'Congress is playing 'good cop, bad cop'. On one hand, in the all-party meeting, they say that they will fully support. On the other hand, they make their leaders give statements that insult the victims and give cover fire to Pakistan,' Bhandari told ANI.

He emphasised that it was well-known that the terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, was carried out by Pakistan-based terror operatives, and any attempt to deflect responsibility was an insult to the victims and their families.

Bhandari's remarks were directed at certain Congress leaders who suggested that the terrorists did not enquire about the religion of their victims, arguing that this diminished the gravity of the situation and disrespected the victims' experiences.

'They all know that the terror masters of Pakistan have carried out this terrorist attack in Pahalgam... Congress leaders of Karnataka say that the terrorists did not ask about religion. This is an insult to the statements of the victim. All this proves that just like after 26/11, the Congress party was trying every possible way to give a clean chit to Pakistan; under the same policy, today they are trying to give a clean chit to Pakistan,' the BJP leader noted.

Bhandari stressed that this was not a time for political point-scoring but a time for unity.

'This is not the time for politics; this is the time when the country has to be united... The country is united and it knows that under the leadership of PM Modi, we will give a befitting reply to Pakistan,' he added.

This came following Congress leaders slamming the Union Government on the matter of the security lapse, which led to the attack at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, killing 26 individuals in one of the deadliest attacks in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike, in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India has taken strong measures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.

The government has said that terrorists responsible for a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and conspirators will face severe punishment. (ANI)