‘Cover fire for terrorists’: Indian envoy blasts Irish Times over Pahalgam terror attack editorial | India News

NEW DELHI: Indian ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra has issued a strong rebuttal to The Irish Times over its editorial on the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, accusing the publication of downplaying terrorism and echoing narratives that provide “cover fire” to its perpetrators.In a post on X, Mishra condemned the editorial for failing to unequivocally denounce the terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Jammu and Kashmir. Instead, he mentioned, it chose to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “rattling sabres,” and drew an equivalence between India and Pakistan, a country Mishra described as the “global epicentre of terrorism.”“Our reply to a malicious Irish Times editorial on the terrorist attack in Pahalgam,” India envoy wrote. “Instead of condemning terror and sympathising with innocent victims, it provides cover fire for the terrorists and their sponsors by charging PM Modi of rattling sabres and equating India with Pakistan.”In a letter to the editor, Mishra called the editorial unprofessional and biased, stating that it stood in stark contrast to the support and solidarity expressed by Irish citizens and leaders, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin. He highlighted that while world leaders – including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen – and institutions like the UN Security Council had condemned the attack in the strongest terms, the editorial omitted these facts and instead questioned India’s response.“The UN Security Council… underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice. The Irish Times failed to mention this main operative portion of the UN statement,” Mishra wrote.Refuting the editorial’s portrayal of post-2019 Jammu and Kashmir, Indian ambassador Mishra specified that the region has seen major progress since the abrogation of Article 370, with rising investments, a tourism boom, and high voter turnout in the recent Lok Sabha elections.“Contrary to The Irish Times’ misperception… the people have witnessed unprecedented economic and infrastructural development… A democratic government was elected in 2024 with 63.9% turnout,” the letter said.Mishra also pointed to national unity in the aftermath of the attack, saying the entire country, including opposition parties and Kashmiri civil society, was firmly behind the Centre’s resolve to act against the perpetrators.The Irish Times editorial, published on April 28, had stated that while Pakistan denied involvement and offered to cooperate with an international investigation, India had not presented evidence beyond historical claims. It accused PM Modi of “rattling sabres” and warned against escalation.In response to the April 22 attack, India has taken several strong steps, including suspending long-standing Indus Waters Treaty, in a firm response to Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism.