Jammu and Kashmir terror attacks: Congress questions PM Modi’s ‘silence’ on Kathua and Doda attacks

The Congress on June 12 said the BJP’s boastful claims that peace and normalcy had returned to Jammu and Kashmir had been thoroughly debunked by the three terrorist attacks in the region in the last three days.

Congress MP and Head of Media and Public Relations Pawan Khera also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the issue, saying that while he had time to respond to Pakistani politicians, he had no time to condemn the brutal terrorist attacks.

“The BJP’s loud bluster and empty promises that peace and normalcy would be restored in Jammu and Kashmir have been thoroughly debunked. The fact that the BJP has not even bothered to contest elections in the Kashmir Valley is proof that its ‘Naya Kashmir’ policy is a miserable failure,” Khera said in a statement.

His remarks come at a time of increasing terror attacks in the two border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. Mr Khera alleged that over the last decade, national security has become a “casualty” due to “loud drumming” by the Modi government. “While innocents suffer the consequences of cowardly terror attacks, business goes on as usual,” he said.

“While Shri Narendra Modi and his NDA government were taking oath of office and the heads of states were visiting the country, a horrific and gruesome terrorist attack took place in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir in which nine people were killed and at least 33 injured when terrorists opened fire on a bus full of pilgrims on their way from Shiv Khori Temple to Katra,” he said.

“Not even innocent children were spared. Don’t the victims deserve a word of compassion from the self-proclaimed ‘divine’ Prime Minister?” he asked.

Subsequently, the Congress leader said, there was another terrorist attack in Kathua in which a civilian was injured. On June 11, six security personnel and a civilian were injured in an encounter with terrorists in Chhatrakala, Doda, Jammu, he said.

According to official sources, terrorists opened fire at a joint checkpoint of the four Rashtriya Rifles and police in Chattergalla area along the Bhadarwah-Pathankot route.

“A wave of terrorist attacks has swept Jammu and Kashmir for the past three days, even as Prime Minister Modi is busy posting replies to congratulatory tweets by Pakistani leaders Nawaz Sharif and Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

“Why has he not said a single word about the heinous terrorist attacks? Why is he maintaining stoic silence,” asked Khera.

“Is it not a fact that Pir Panjal Range Rajouri and Poonch have become a hotbed of cross-border terrorism in the last two years as more than 35 soldiers have been martyred in terror attacks in these areas in the last two years alone? And now terror has spread to the neighbouring Reasi district too, which was considered relatively peaceful,” he said.

The Congress leader noted that under the Modi government, at least 19 major terrorist attacks have taken place on security installations, including on CRPF camps, army camps, air force bases and military bases in Pulwama, Pampore, Uri, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amarnath Yatra attack, Sunjwan army camp and Poonch terror attacks in which dozens of precious lives were lost.

“Is it not true that Modi’s government invited the rogue ISI to investigate the 2016 Pathankot attack?” he asked. Is it not true that Modi’s government compromised national security even though 2,262 terror attacks took place in Jammu and Kashmir in which 363 civilians died and 596 soldiers were martyred, Mr Khera added.