Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday assailed the BJP-led Centre over the Pahalgam terror attack with pointed questions on the apparent “lack” of security for tourists. He accused the government of prioritising VIP protection over public safety.

At least 26 people, mostly tourists, died in the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. The execution-like killing by terrorists after reportedly asking about the victims’ faith has left the entire country grieving and outraged.

Voicing the concern of tourists who survived the attack, Yadav, in a post on X, asked, “Why was there no one to protect me (the public) amid danger?”

In the social media post, he went on to question the government’s security policies, ostensibly referring to alleged Gujarat conman Kiran Patel who had allegedly posed as a PMO official and visited Kashmir under security cover. “Why are some individuals, who later turn out to be frauds, given such tight and comprehensive security by the government?” the SP chief posed.

Patel was arrested from a Srinagar hotel on his third visit to the valley in March last year.

Yadav, the MP from Kannauj, also raised doubts about background checks done on individuals in sensitive areas, suggesting that anyone could gain access to high-security zones without proper scrutiny.

He also took a dig at the ruling party, saying, “When the celebration-loving BJP organises controversial private events in such sensitive areas, thousands of security personnel are deployed for the safety of around 250 VVIPs whose job is to be the voice of others.”

“On what basis do such people, who have no existence of their own and even disrespect courts, get security and not tourists?” the former UP chief minister posed and termed these “very serious questions” that demand answers.

Yadav was apparently referring to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s reported high-profile family event in Gulmarg under strict security cover, just days before the April 22 attack that has raised eyebrows among the BJP circles.

The MP from Jharkhand’s Godda had stirred a controversy with his comments on the Supreme Court and by blaming Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna for “religious wars” in India.

Taking a dig at the government, the Samajwadi party chief also said, “Even if statements are changed under pressure from those who lost their loved ones, BJP should remember that altering statements doesn’t change the truth.”