Sources in the security establishment on Friday said the “unguarded” Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam was thrown open to tourists throughout the year since 2020 as any kind of restriction could have gone against the Centre’s “all-is-well” narrative in Kashmir.

At the all-party meeting on Thursday, the government had reportedly explained the absence of security personnel at the meadow by saying that local tour operators had opened the route without informing the administration.

At the meeting, the Opposition had questioned the government about security lapses behind the carnage, demanding a probe and fixing of accountability. Sources said Union home minister Amit Shah had acknowledged that there was a security lapse.

“Baisaran and some other unguarded locations in the Valley were opened to tourists in 2020 throughout the year as part of the Centre’s policy and perceived normalcy in the region. Earlier, it used to stay open for 2-3 months every year during the Amarnath Yatra amid massive security all over the place,” a security official attached to the home ministry told The Telegraph.

The terrorists who killed 26 people at Baisaran valley on Tuesday had a free run for 20-25 minutes. Sources said the militants had fled when the security personnel reached the spot after 40 minutes.

“The Centre was rebuilding Kashmir’s image as a peaceful tourist destination, especially after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. This is why the government did not want to make tourist spots like the Baisaran meadow out of bounds for tourists for security reasons, as it would send a wrong message at a time when the government itself was claiming normalcy. This is the reason Baisaran and some other locations were kept open throughout the year,” another security official said.

He said tourism was booming in Kashmir, which witnessed a surge in visitors from 34 lakh in 2020 to a record 2.36 crore in 2024, including 65,000 foreign tourists.

In a post on X, BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya said on Friday: “Baisaran Valley was opened to tourists on April 20 without prior intimation to the security forces. According to intelligence officers at the all-party meeting, the area is typically accessible to tourists and Amarnath pilgrims only from June onwards.

“This development raises several critical questions: 1. Who authorised the opening of an unsanitised area to tourists without notifying the security forces? 2. Why was the security apparatus not informed of this decision? How did terrorists become aware of this security lapse, while India’s own security agencies remained unaware? The local administration should be able to provide clear and accountable answers to all these questions.”

A Google search of the Baisaran meadow shows personal reviews by several tourists who had gone there before April 20. Bhavin Modha from Vadodara, who had visited the place in November, wrote: “Beautiful abode of lush green fields surrounded by pine trees and hills — that’s Baisaran valley for you.”

Anay P., who visited in May, wrote: “This place is extremely overhyped... The way up was extremely steep, overcrowded and the path was also very narrow... Not recommended for kids and elderly people.”