Following the tragic incident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda where four soldiers, including an Army officer, lost their lives in an encounter with terrorists, the Congress launched a scathing critique of the central government's security policies.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, condemned the incident as another example of the grave challenges facing the nation's security forces. He mourned the martyrs and extended heartfelt condolences to their families, while also lambasting what he described as the BJP government's failed policies in the region.
"Today, our soldiers were martyred in another terrorist encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. I pay my humble tribute to the martyrs and express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Such horrific incidents happening one after the other is extremely sad and worrying. These continuous terrorist attacks are revealing the poor condition of Jammu and Kashmir. Our soldiers and their families are bearing the brunt of the BJP's wrong policies. Every patriotic Indian demands that the government should take full responsibility for the repeated security lapses and take strict action against the culprits who harm the country and the soldiers. In this hour of grief, the entire country stands united against terrorism," he said.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed similar sentiments, expressing profound grief over the soldiers' deaths and criticizing the government's response as inadequate.
"Deeply distressed by the martyrdom of 4 brave Army soldiers, including an officer, in a terror encounter in Jammu & Kashmir's Doda. Our heart goes out to the families of our bravehearts, who 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 complete recovery. No words of strong and unequivocal condemnation will suffice for these acts of violence being perpetrated by cowardly terrorists. The spate of terror attacks that has gripped Jammu and Kashmir in the past 36 days, needs careful recalibration in our security strategy. Modi Govt is acting as if everything is "business as usual" and nothing has changed. They must know that increasingly Jammu region is bearing the brunt of these attacks. We cannot endanger our National Security by indulging in false bravado, fake narratives and high-decibel whitewashing. As a nation, we have to collectively fight the scourge of cross-border terrorism. The Indian National Congress stands strongly with our valiant Armed Forces," the Congress president posted on X.
Earlier, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh raised concerns about the escalating frequency of terror incidents in Jammu, highlighting that there have been 11 attacks in the last 78 days alone. He questioned the efficacy of the government's claims and strategies in addressing these security challenges.
"There have been 11 terror attacks in the last 78 days in Jammu alone. This is a wholly new development. While we must demonstrate an effective collective response cutting across political parties, the question must also be asked: what happened to all those grand claims made by the self-anointed non-biological PM and the self-styled Chanakya?" Ramesh said in a post on X.
The encounter in Doda occurred during a joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police based on specific intelligence inputs. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the developments of the operation.
