Amarnath attack: Opposition flays Modi, Mehbooba governments

A day after seven Amarnath pilgrims lost their lives in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, the opposition on Tuesday slammed the Narendra Modi government at the Centre as well the Mehbooba Mufti-led state government for failing to provide security.

Describing the terror attack as "inhuman and barbaric", the Congress sought "decisive action" against those involved.

Seven pilgrims were killed and 19 others injured on Monday in Anantnag district when militants fired at a bus carrying over 60 pilgrims in Khanabal area on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

"Congress demands safety for all pilgrims taking the holy yatra. What steps is the government taking in this regard must be stated by the government, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala told reporters here.

He alleged that the terror attack was a serious security lapse on the part of the government and security forces.

"Are we again going to brush such an important issue in the garb of meetings and enquiries or are we going to take decisive action to punish the guilty who have dared to attack the most holy of the yatras in the country?" he asked.

Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury asked why precautionary measures were not taken for the safety of the pilgrims despite intelligence inputs.

"This is very unfortunate. We strongly condemn the attack. Despite very good intelligence inputs, why were precautionary measures not taken? The government has to explain why this happened despite intelligence reports," Yechury told reporters outside Parliament house.

He pointed out that the last time such an attack happened was in 2000, when there was a BJP-led government at the Centre.

"And now again when you have Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, why is this happening? The government needs to answer this," he said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Nationalist Conference leader Omar Abdullah said that the Central government needs to reassess the situation and decide if Governor's rule needs to be imposed in the state.

"I believe the Government of India needs to take a long, hard look at the deterioration in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and particularly in the Valley after installation of Mehbooba Mufti as the Chief Minister," Abdullah told India Today news channel.

"If continuation of Mehbooba Mufti as Chief Minister becomes untenable, which I believe is rapidly approaching that point, there may not be any other option. But it is for the Centre to decide," he added.

He said there is a "clear co-relation" between Peoples Democratic Party and BJP coming together and the "deterioration of law and order and security environment in Jammu and Kashmir".

Senior Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Karan Singh also sought Governor's rule in the state.

--IANS

mak-vv/him/vd