NEW DELHI — The Congress said on Tuesday that the Jammu region “becoming the centre of militant incidents” reflects the “strategic failure” of the Modi government and demanded that the Centre should take the country into confidence on steps it is taking to deal with the situation.
The opposition party also called for a befitting reply to Pakistan in the wake of the rising militant incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Congress’ assertion came a day after five army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, were killed and as many were injured when heavily armed militants ambushed a patrolling party in the remote Machedi area of J&K’s Kathua district.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Deepender Hooda said this attack is highly condemnable.
He said the government should suo motu give a statement on the steps it is taking in the wake of the recent militants attacks in the state.
“Even before this, in December 2023, four of our soldiers were martyred in Rajouri. There was an encounter in Kulgam, in which two of our soldiers were martyred.
“There was a militant attack in Doda on June 26. On June 9 also, a militant attack was carried out on a bus,” Hooda said, listing the recent militant attacks in J&K.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has asserted that the solution to the persistent militant attacks should be strict action, not empty promises, Hooda said.
“Figures show that the number of civilians and security forces personnel martyred in militancy incidents in the Jammu region has almost doubled since January 2023,” he said.
The centre of militant incidents has now shifted from the Kashmir valley to the Jammu region and this “reflects the strategic failure” of the Modi government, he said.
The Modi government is not serious about the ground situation in J&K and instead is more busy presenting its narrative to the country, he alleged.
“Whenever the Modi government introduces any scheme, it links it to militancy and says that militancy will be eradicated. When demonetisation took place in the country and the Article 370 was removed from Jammu and Kashmir, even then there was talk of elimination of militancy. But now the government should think about the situation that has arisen,” he said.
Slamming Pakistan for orchestrating such attacks in J&K, Hooda said the neighbouring country is trying to divert the attention of its people from its own failures on unemployment and its bankruptcy.
Pakistan has reached the brink of becoming a “failed state” and yet it is daring to do this, Hooda said, adding that now it is the time to give a befitting reply to Pakistan.
“As a responsible opposition, we are with the government for the security of the country,” he said.
The Congress on Monday condemned the militant attack on Army personnel in Kathua and said no amount of whitewashing, fake claims, hollow boasts and chest-thumping can “erase the fact that the Modi government remains a disaster” for security in the Union Territory.
Gandhi said the answer to the continuous militant attacks has to be strict action, not “hollow speeches and false promises”.
He said whatever steps need to be taken to deal with the situation, the Congress, as a responsible Opposition, was ready to support and cooperate with the government in every way. — (PTI)