Congress Accuses Centre Of Compromising On National Security

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday accused the NDA government of compromising on national security and held the Modi dispensation responsible for the deaths of soldiers and civilians in ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Congress's charge came a day after a young Army Captain and three jawans were killed in heavy Pakistani shelling along the LoC in Poonch and Rajouri districts.

Expressing concern over the sharp rise in cases of ceasefire violation, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the government has failed to take concrete steps to protect national security.

He said ever since the Modi government assumed office in 2014, there have been a 500 per cent rise in ceasefire violations, which he described as a "pre-meditated undeclared attack" on Indian forces.

"India's security policy is left only in the prime minister's speeches...The Congress expresses concern over the rise in ceasefire violations by Pakistan as this issue is linked with India's national security.

"It is unfortunate that the Modi government has compromised on national security. We hold the Modi government totally responsible for the killing of soldiers and civilians in these ceasefire violations as it is due to the policies of this government," he told reporters.

The Congress leader also accused BJP president Amit Shah of "insulting" the soldiers who died while protecting the country's borders when he claimed that "surgical strikes" were carried out for the first time ever during their government.

Mr Tiwari said in 44 months of the Modi government, there has been a nearly 500 per cent rise of ceasefire violations by Pakistan and since the start of this year there have been as many as 160 such violations.

"There have been ceasefire violations 2,474 times by Pakistan and China ever since this government came to power," he said.

During this government, he said, as many as 340 jawans and officers have lost their lives, along with 194 civilians, and what is more shocking is 10 soldiers including officers having been killed in February this year alone.

The Congress leader said around 10,000 people living along the border have migrated due to increase in ceasefire violations and 84 schools have been permanently shut.

Attacking Shah, he said, the BJP chief has insulted all soldiers who died protecting the country on the border since 1947 and the figures given by Shah in Rajya Sabha are "wrong".

"It is an insult to all those soldiers who fought infiltration and cross-border terrorism since 1947 and to those who fought the 1971 war with Pakistan after which Bangladesh was created," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)