Jammu, Sept 17:
The Congress party on Tuesday ridiculed the BJP claim of containing terrorism in the Jammu region, accusing the ruling party of misleading the public with hollow assurances.
The Congress party argued that despite the BJP’s repeated declarations of bringing peace and security to Jammu, the region has witnessed a sharp increase in terrorist activities, killings of pilgrims, and infiltration in the last couple of years.
Interacting with media persons at Jammu, senior AICC leader in-charge Administration and member of the Congress Working Committee Gurdeep Singh Sappal highlighted the rise in attacks on civilians and security personnel in areas that were once considered relatively peaceful, asserting that the BJP’s claims of controlling terrorism are far from reality.
“The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that hours before the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Doda, terrorists struck in the same region in the Chhatroo area in which two soldiers of the Army have attained martyrdom”, Mr Singh said while pointing toward recent Chhatroo attack.
“The increase in terror incidents in the Jammu division is a glaring failure of the BJP’s security policies”, he said and criticized the government for being complacent and failing to adopt a comprehensive approach to combat the growing threat of terrorism in the region.
Pointing to the rising number of attacks in districts like Rajouri, Poonch, and Udhampur, the Congress leader emphasized that Jammu is no longer immune to the wave of terrorism that has traditionally plagued the Kashmir Valley. He accused the BJP of using national security as a political tool while neglecting the safety and well-being of the people living in Jammu.
Singh underscored the BJP’s failure to fulfill its promise of ensuring a secure and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir.
“Over the past three years, 119 members of the security forces have lost their lives, with more than 40% of these fatalities occurring in the Jammu division alone”, she said.
Congress leader pointed to the BJP’s aggressive posturing on security and its decisions, including the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, which they say were touted as measures to wipe out terrorism and ensure long-term peace in the region.
He, however, said that the ground reality paints a different picture. “The resurgence of terrorist attacks, especially targeting civilians, security forces, and infrastructure, demonstrates that the BJP’s approach to security in J&K has been ineffective”, he said.
He accused the BJP of adopting a strategy that is more focused on political posturing rather than addressing the root causes of militancy in the region.
Singh argued that the BJP’s claims of normalcy and development in J&K, particularly after the revocation of Article 370, are misleading, as the security situation remains volatile.
Lambasting BJP for brazenly using Kashmir as a tool to reap political benefits in other parts of the country, Mr Sappal regretted that residents of Jammu and Kashmir are bearing the maximum brunt of the wrong policies of the BJP government at the Centre.
Dolly Sharma National Media Coordinator in-charge Jammu and Onika Mehrotra AICC Media Coordinator In charge Jammu and Mr Ravinder Sharma Senior Vice President, Chief spokesperson incharge Media Department JKPCC, Namrata Sharma General Secretary PCC Media were also present in the press conference.
“For the last ten years, residents of J&K were deprived of their democratic rights as those at the helm of affairs failed to hold Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir for a decade”, he said.
“It is the first time in the political history of the country that the ruling party in the country could not muster the guts to fight Parliament elections in Kashmir Valley”, Singh said while mentioning the decision of BJP not to field candidates in Kashmir Valley in the recently held Lok Sabha elections
Pointing towards a spike in terror incidents in J&K in general and Jammu province in particular, Singh said that criticized the BJP-led government for its failure to effectively contain terrorism.
The Congress leader alleged that despite the BJP’s bold claims of bringing peace and stability to the region, the situation has worsened under its watch, with a disturbing rise in terror activities, especially in Jammu, which was historically seen as a relatively peaceful region compared to the Kashmir Valley.
Congress leader further said that the BJP has failed to deliver on its promises of creating employment opportunities and boosting development in J&K.
“Except for fake promises BJP-led government has done nothing concrete in Jammu and Kashmir”, he said and pointed out that not even a single corporate house has invested in Jammu and Kashmir during the last five years.
He criticized the BJP for systematically ruining the once-prosperous state of Jammu and Kashmir. He accused the ruling party of turning the region into a hub of chaos and uncertainty.
“During the UPA regime especially from 2004 to 2014, terrorism was at its lowest ebb in J&K and the state was on the path of peace and progress”, he said but regretted that under the BJP’s governance, Jammu and Kashmir, has been plunged into a state of instability marked by increasing militancy, economic decline, and political disempowerment.
He recalled that it was during the tenure of the BJP government that terrorism was encouraged in Jammu and Kashmir and recounted the incidents of the kidnapping of Rubiya Sayeed and the Khandhar hijacking during the BJP regime, which were turning points in boosting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Congress leader accused the BJP of prioritizing its political agenda over the well-being of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He argued that instead of addressing the pressing issues of employment, development, and security, the BJP has fostered an environment of chaos and uncertainty, pushing the region further into turmoil. senior leader S Gurdarshan Singh, Spokespersons Kapil Singh, Sahil Sharma were also present.
