Congress president Rahul Gandhi condoled the killing of CRPF personnel in a militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday and said it had left him “deeply disturbed”.
“I’m deeply disturbed by the cowardly attack on a #CRPF convoy in J&K in which many of our brave CRPF men have been martyred and a large number wounded, some critically. My condolences to the families of our martyrs. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he tweeted.
A number of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday in a suicide attack, when a Jaish-e-Mohammed militant rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the bus they were travelling in, one of the worst militant strikes in the state since the Uri attack in 2016, officials said.
Paying his party’s homage, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also accused the Narendra Modi government of compromising national security and said the list of militant attacks continued unabated under it.
“Condemn the cowardly terror attack on our jawans in Pulwama, J&K today. Our homage to the 18 brave hearts who made the supreme sacrifice & condolences to their family. Uri, Pathankot, Pulwama- the terror list & compromise of National Security by Modi Govt continues unabated,” he said in a tweet.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condoled the killing of CRPF personnel and demanded that the government take concrete steps to ensure such “terror attacks do not happen in the future”.
The AICC general secretary in-charge Uttar Pradesh East also said there is a need to reflect and be concerned about the “high number” of casualties in Kashmir.
She expressed her deepest condolences to the families of the security personnel killed in the attack.
“I can very well understand the pain and grief of losing a loved one in the family,” Gandhi said in a statement.
Not only the Congress party, but the entire country is standing shoulder to shoulder with the families of the brave soldiers, she said.
“But, we must also reflect and be concerned about the high number of casualties in Kashmir. We demand that this government take concrete steps to ensure such terror attacks don’t happen in the future,” Gandhi said.
CPI(M), TMC condemn Pulwama attack
The CPI(M) and the Trinamool Congress condemned the attack in Pulwama on Thursday in which 39 CRPF personnel have lost their lives.
“Violence is not the answer to resolve issues, which require the engagement of all stakeholders in the state. The Modi government had promised, three years ago, to initiate a political process involving all stakeholders through dialogue. This has not happened. This must be done immediately,” said the CPI (M) politburo in a statement.
TMC chief Mamata Banerjee condemned the attack and said this was not the time to pin blame and politicise the issue.
“I condemn the attack and stand in solidarity with them (the CRPF personnel). I do not want to politicise the issue,” she said.
Later Banerjee tweeted, “Saddened that 13 CRPF jawans became martyrs today in Pulwama. We salute our brave jawans and extend our solidarity and condolences to their families. Our prayers for those injured. We wish them a speedy recovery (sic).”