Tricolour hoisted less, used more to wrap coffins: Shiv Sena lambasts Centre over Pulwama attack

"Instead of being hoisted in pride, the tricolour is now being used more for wrapping the mortal remains of slain security personnel," the Shiv Sena said on Monday.

The remark comes nearly five days after 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives in the Pulwama terror attack.

"It is unfortunate that despite there being no war, soldiers of our country are dealing with the killings," the party said in its editorial mouthpiece, Saamna.

The Shiv Sena opined that the need of the hour is to stand by the security forces and the families of the deceased, and not to place blame on one another.

"A similar incident happened in Kashmir while Congress was in power. At that time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the chief minister of Gujarat, had stated that 'it is not our soldiers that are weak but the government at the Centre.' Everyone is now waiting to see what the Centre will do in order to take the revenge of the killings of our soldiers. This is not the time to point out mistakes. This is the time to stand with the army and motivate them."

The party also advised the Centre to follow the footsteps of former prime minister Indira Gandhi in order to take "revenge", in reference to Gandhi's decision to wage war in 1971 and "go into East Pakistan."

"Indira Gandhi had taught a lesson to Pakistan in 1971. Our soldiers entered Lahore and destroyed everything. Lakhs of Pakistani soldiers were forced to kneel down," the Shiv Sena noted.

As many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed when their convoy was targeted on Srinagar-Jammu national highway on Thursday. The convoy comprised 78 buses in which around 2,500 personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar.

Soon after the attack, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which is based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack.