Take concrete steps to prevent terror attacks: Priyanka

Strongly condemning the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 30 security personnel, the Congress on Thursday called the Modi-led BJP government the "weakest" and demanded concrete steps to prevent a recurrence of such attacks.

Condoling the deaths, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi demanded that the Modi government ensure the prevention of terror attacks.

"I can very well understand the pain and grief of losing a loved one in the family. I want to say that not only the Congress, but the entire country is standing shoulder to shoulder with the families of our brave soldiers," she said.

"But we must also reflect and be concerned about the high number of casualties in Kashmir. We demand that this government take concrete steps to ensure such terror attacks don't happen in the future," added Priyanka who is in the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi also expressed grief over the attack which happened in Pulwama district when an explosive-laden van rammed into a CRPF bus on the Srinagar-Jammu highway killing at least 30 troopers and injuring many others.

"I am deeply disturbed by the cowardly attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir in which many of our brave CRPF men have been martyred and a large number wounded, some critically. My condolences to the families of our martyrs. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured," he tweeted.

Meanwhile, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala targeted the Modi government for its failure to counter "Pakistan-sponsored terrorism" and called it to be the "weakest government" in the history of independent India.

"This is the 17th big terror attack under Modi. Under his regime two of our soldiers were beheaded by Pakistani soldiers. There have been over 5,000 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the last 5 years and over 440 soldiers killed alone in Jammu and Kashmir," Surjewala told the media here.

"The fact is, Modi government has neither been able to check Pakistan-sponsored terrorism nor been able to give any reply to it. Five years of incohesive and inconclusive policies and rhetoric is what the Modi government has given.

"The Modi government is the weakest in the history of independent India but we still urge it to not compromise national security," added Surjewala.

--IANS

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