Cong seeks answers from Centre over back-to-back terror attacks in J&K

Srinagar: The Congress in Jammu and Kashmir expressed concerns Wednesday over back-to-back terror attacks in the Union territory and sought answers from the Central government over the security situation in the region.

Terrorists attacked a bus carrying pilgrims on Sunday, causing it to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge in Reasi, killing nine and injuring 41. Two days later, terrorists attacked a joint checkpost in Doda, injuring six security personnel.

In another incident late on Tuesday, a suspected Pakistani terrorist was killed by security forces in Kathua district. The overnight encounter ended after a second terrorist was also gunned down on Wednesday but a CRPF jawan lost his life in the operation.

Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters here, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani said, "We are very concerned about the series of terrorist attacks happening in Jammu." Wani also hit out at the central government over its claims of improvement in the security situation in J&K.

"What are the security agencies and the government doing in the state? The government made a lot of noise in Parliament that it has improved the situation in J&K by removing Article 370 and making it a Union territory.

"They also sought votes in the parliamentary election on this. Be it the prime minister, the home minister or other big leaders of the BJP, everyone made such claims. But today, the situation has reached such a level that a series of terrorist attacks have taken place," the Congress leader said.

He said when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he used to question the then-prime minister Manmohan Singh about where terrorists came from.

"Today, I want to ask the same question to Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. You have the Army, BSF and other security forces, then where do these terrorists come from," he asked.

Wani said his party wants the situation in Jammu and Kashmir to improve.

"It should become terror-free. Terrorists should be stopped from coming here and the killings that are happening should also be stopped," he added.

Referring to the upcoming annual Amarnath Yatra, Wani said the security grid will have to be tightened and the situation will have to be assessed so that no such incident happens.

He said the government should make claims of having improved the situation only when there is an actual improvement, and sought answers from the prime minister and the Union home minister.

"They will have to answer for what is happening. We condemn it, we are pained," the JKPCC chief said.