Rahul Gandhi also asked about the the outcome of the inquiry into the attack. (File photo)
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and others in the government paid tribute to the 40 soldiers killed in the Pulwama terror attack a year ago, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted a tweet targeting the ruling BJP. The Congress MP questioned who had been held accountable for the "security lapses" and what the outcome of the inquiry into the attack was.
The comments are an "insult to martyrs of sacrificed their life for the country," said the BJP.
"Today as we remember our 40 CRPF martyrs in the #PulwamaAttack, let us ask: 1. Who benefited the most from the attack? 2. What is the outcome of the inquiry into the attack? 3. Who in the BJP government has yet been held accountable for the security lapses that allowed the attack?" Rahul Gandhi tweeted in the morning.
In a sharp reaction, the BJP said: "Rahul Gandhi is a 'known sympathiser' of LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed; it chooses to target not just the government but security forces as well." Such comments, the party said, help Pakistan counter India on international platforms.
On February 14, 2019, a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bomber driving a car filled with explosives rammed a Central Reserve Police Force (CPRF) convoy travelling from Jammu to Srinagar, near Pulwama. Over 40 of some 2,500 CRPF personnel travelling in the convoy were killed in the deadliest terror attack targeting troops.
Days after the attack, the Indian Air Force on February 26 carried out multiple strikes at a Jaish terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot.
Rahul Gandhi's tweet apparently refers to the political sparring after the Pulwama attack and the narrative built around nationalism and a tough policy against terror, which was repeatedly raised during the national election campaign. The Congress and Left were among opposition parties who accused the BJP of capitalizing on the Pulwama attack and the retaliatory Balakot strikes.
PM Modi, in his tribute this morning, said the country would "never forget the martyrdom" of the Pulwama soldiers killed in the attack.
"Tributes to the brave martyrs who lost their lives in the gruesome Pulwama attack last year. They were exceptional individuals who devoted their lives to serving and protecting our nation. India will never forget their martyrdom," the Prime Minister tweeted.