Rahul Gandhi calls BJP-PDP alliance 'opportunistic', says soldiers dying because of 'non-existent' Kashmir policy

Pic courtesy: Twitter/@INCIndia

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday called the PDP-BJP alliance in Jammu and Kashmir an opportunistic one and said that they had a non-existent Kashmir policy.

"PDP says 'talks' with Pakistan, BJP Defence Minister says 'Pakistan will pay the price', while our soldiers pay with their blood for BJP/PDP’s opportunistic alliance and non-existent Kashmir policy. Modi ji dithers," he tweeted.

1. PDP says “talks” with Pakistan.

2. BJP Defence Minister says "Pakistan will pay the price".

While our soldiers pay with their blood for BJP/ PDP’s opportunistic alliance and non-existent Kashmir policy; Modi Ji dithers. — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 13, 2018

On Monday, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had blamed Pakistan for the terror attack at the Sunjuwan Military Camp in J&K and had made it clear that it will pay the price for the "misadventure".

She had asserted that even though evidence of Pakistan's role may be shared, India still reserved the "right to respond adequately at the time our choosing". "Pakistan will pay for this misadventure. I repeat Pakistan will pay for it," the Defence Minister had told reporters in Srinagar.

"I would not certainly set a timeline but Pakistan will pay for this misadventure. I can only assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire country that the Army, both the governments at the state and the centre, are definitely looking at it with all seriousness," she had added.

Asked whether the government was sharing evidence with Pakistan, Sitharaman had replied in the affirmative.

"Yes, all the evidences which have been collected will be compiled and definitely the evidences will be given as always to Pakistan. But Pakistan, inspite of being given dossiers after dossiers, has not taken any action she said.

She had further said giving evidence to Pakistan would have to be a continuous process because it has to be proven over and over again, as many number of times, so that their involvement is there for everybody to see.

Sitharaman had also said that intelligence inputs suggested that terrorists who attacked the Sunjuwan Camp were controlled by handlers from across the border.

A group of heavily armed men struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry before dawn on February 10, 2018. Five Army men, including two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), were martyred in the attack.

Meanwhile, earlier on Monday Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had pitched afresh for a dialogue between India and Pakistan to end the violence in the restive state.

"If Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti say hold talks with Pakistan, they are dubbed anti-national. There is no alternative (to resolve the issue) except by holding talks," she had told the state Assembly on the concluding day of the budget session.

"If we (the Kashmiris) don't talk about it (dialogue), who will? Not a Bihari, not a Punjabi," Mufti added. "Dialogue with Pakistan is necessary if we are to end the bloodshed. I know I will be labelled anti-national by news anchors but that doesn't matter. The people of J&K are suffering. We have to talk because war is not an option," she had later tweeted.

Dialogue with Pakistan is necessary if we are to end bloodshed. I know I will be labelled anti-national by news anchors tonight but that doesn’t matter. The people of J&K are suffering. We have to talk because war is not an option. — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 12, 2018

Mufti had also met the Defence Minister and briefed her about the security situation in the state.

Met Defense Minister @nsitharaman ji & briefed her about the security situation in J&K. pic.twitter.com/JFc1TMJkdZ — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 12, 2018

On the other hand, a CRPF constable was killed in a gunfight with terrorists in downtown Srinagar on Monday after security forces foiled attempts by terrorists to strike a CRPF camp. 

Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba had claimed responsibility for the attack on the CRPF camp. Its Kashmir chief Mehmood Shah had claimed in an e-mailed statement that the attack was perpetrated by its activists, PTI reported.

The heavily-armed militants had tried to strike the CRPF camp, located very close to SMHS Hospital from where LeT terrorist Naveed Jutt alias Abu Hanzala was freed from police custody by terrorists on February 6, 2018.

(With Agency inputs)