18th Terror Attack During NDA Rule, Government Silent, Says Congress

The Congress today attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government over the deadly attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, questioning the government's silence despite regular attacks from across the Line of Control. Nearly 40 men have died as the terrorists targeted a CRPF convoy on a national highway. Around 40 people are fighting for their lives.

The Congress pointed out that this was the "18th major terror attack under Modi rule".

"Pampore, Uri, Pathankot, Gurdaspore, Amarnath, Surjanpur... the list is endless. Every day there are attacks from Pakistan. Every day ceasefire violations take place, 400 jawans have been martyred in Jammu and Kashmir alone... Yet our government is quiet... The truth today is India is facing unprovoked terror attack from Pakistan," said party spokesperson Randeep Sigh Surjewala.

"This is the biggest attack since Uri, but Modi-ji has no time for expressing his disappointment. Where is his 56-inch chest now?" Mr Surjewala added.

PM Modi, who was in Uttarakhand's Rudrapur for a rally ahead of the coming national elections, is heading for Delhi.

Nineteen soldiers had died in September 2016, when four terrorists struck at an army base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri.

Today, at least 20 men were killed as the terrorists drove a Scorpio laden with 350 kg of explosives into the huge 70-vehicle convoy. Fifteen of the injured are said to be in a critical condition.

Eleven days after the Uri attack, the army had launched surgical strikes on terror camps across the Line of Control.

But the strikes had added fuel to the political battle between the Congress and the BJP since, with each accusing the other of politicising the issue.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said he was deeply disturbed by the "cowardly attack" on the CRPF convoy. "My condolences to the families of our martyrs. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," he tweeted.