Doda attack: Kharge calls for a new direction; Rahul Gandhi blames BJP for wrong policies | Latest news from India

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday called for a “careful re-orientation” of the security strategy in view of the wave of terror in Jammu and Kashmir and accused the government of acting as if everything was “business as usual” and nothing had changed, even though Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi had informed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the terrorist attack in Doda in which four soldiers were killed.

Singh’s office said he spoke to General Dwivedi on Tuesday morning. “RM (Raksha Mantri or Defence Minister) was briefed by the Army Chief about the situation on the ground and the ongoing anti-terror operation in Doda,” Singh’s office said on X.

Kharge stressed that national security cannot be compromised by “false bravado, false narratives and loud whitewashing”. Kharge said no words of strong and unequivocal condemnation would suffice for these acts of violence perpetrated by cowardly terrorists. “They (the government) must know that the Jammu region is increasingly bearing the brunt of these attacks,” he said in a post on X. He called for the need for a united response to the scourge of cross-border terrorism. “The Indian National Congress stands firmly with our valiant armed forces.”

He said their condolences were with the families of the four soldiers, including an officer, killed in Doda. Kharge added that the four had made the supreme sacrifice in the service of Bharat Mata. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and we wish them a speedy and full recovery.”

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), saying soldiers and their families are bearing the brunt of their wrong policies. He said such horrific incidents are taking place one after another. Gandhi added that this is extremely sad and disturbing. He said the ongoing terror attacks reflect how bad the situation is in Jammu and Kashmir. “Every patriotic Indian demands that the government take full responsibility for the repeated security lapses and take strict action against the perpetrators of harm to the country and soldiers. In this hour of grief, the entire country stands united against terrorism,” he said on X.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that in the last 78 days, there have been 11 terror attacks in Jammu alone. “This is a completely new development. While we need to show an effective collective response across all political parties, the question also needs to be asked: what happened to all the big promises made by the self-proclaimed non-biological prime minister and the self-proclaimed Chanakya?” Ramesh said on X, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha vowed to avenge the deaths of the soldiers and thwart the evil plans of the terrorists and their allies. “I appeal to the people to unite in the fight against terrorism and provide us with accurate information so that we can intensify anti-terror operations and neutralise the terror ecosystem.”

The four soldiers, including a major, succumbed to their injuries after sustaining life-threatening injuries in the sixth major terrorist attack in the Jammu region this year.

A gun battle was sparked when terrorists fired at a joint team of Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police engaged in a cordon and search operation. Monday’s attack was the second in Doda district since last Tuesday, when an exchange of fire broke out between security forces and terrorists during a search operation. A day earlier, terrorists lobbed hand grenades and fired from automatic weapons at an army truck passing through Badnota village, about 250 km from the site of the gun battle in Doda, in Kathua in Jammu region last Monday.

In the areas south of the Pir Panjal range that separates Jammu and Kashmir, including the Rajouri-Poonch sector, terror activity has increased sharply over the past two years. Last year, seven soldiers were killed in anti-terror operations in the Kashmir valley and 20 in the Rajouri-Poonch sector.