Congress and RJD leaders call J&K's Poonch terror attack 'political stunt', stir row
Congress and RJD leaders call J&K's Poonch terror attack 'political stunt', stir row
Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tej Pratap Yadav courted controversy on Sunday (May 5) over their remarks calling Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch attack “pre-planned”.
Channi accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of plotting such stunts in order to win the elections.
“This is stuntbaazi. And not the (terror) attacks. When elections come, such stunts are done to make the BJP win. These are pre-planned attacks, there is no truth in them…,” alleged the Congress leader while campaigning in Jalandhar, the seat from where he is contesting the polls.
“To kill people and to play with their bodies….BJP knows it…,” he claimed.
He further went on to draw a parallel between the Poonch and the Pulwama attack that took place in 2019.
“These attacks are not really happening but just meant to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party… Whenever elections take place, such stunts are played – like it happened last time,” he added in an apparent reference to the Pulwama incident.
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RJD’s Tej Pratap also made a similar remark stating that the soldiers were “martyred because of PM Modi.”
“Whenever elections come, Pulwama and terrorist attacks take place,” he said in Patna.
Anurag Thakur slams Congress over remarks
Union Minister Anurag Thakur slammed Channi over his “ridiculous” remarks and demanded an apology from the grand old party.
“I have a question for Congress: Were the 1962, 1965, and 1971 wars done for winning elections? On such a ridiculous statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should apologise…They question the ability of our forces…How low will Congress stoop? Will Congress insult our Bravehearts for the sake of winning elections?” Thakur said.
Punjab leader Sunil Jakhar, who recently quit Congress and joined BJP also lashed out at the former Punjab CM calling his remarks “ghastly.”
“Ghastly statement by CWC member Channi belittling the valour of our brave soldiers is no less a crime and an insult to the nation. Channi’s shameful statement on the attack on our Air Force personnel in Poonch calling their valour a stunt shows the bankruptcy and frustration of Channi. The nation will not forgive him. He should hang his head in shame,” he wrote in a post on X.
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On Saturday evening an Indian Air Force (IAF) soldier lost his life, whereas four others were injured in a terror attack that took place in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.
(With inputs from agencies)