Has time to visit shrine but not families of beheaded soldiers: Cong to PM

Shankersinh Vaghela said for RSS, BJP nation comes after person and party

In a veiled attack on Narendra Modi, the Congress Wednesday said he has time to visit the Kedarnath shrine in a "fashionable" robe but none to say a word or meet bereaved families of the two soldiers who were beheaded by Pakistani forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference here, the opposition leader Shankersinh Vaghela said that for the RSS and the BJP "nation comes after person and party, contrary to the claims made by both the outfits".

Without naming Modi, he said "He has no shame in his body language, speech or behaviour. He goes to inaugurate a private company's facility and visits Kedarnath temple in a fashionable robe. But (he) does not say a word or meet bereaved families of the (two) soldiers".

The prime minister today paid obeisance at the Kedarnath temple as the portals of the eighth century shrine in Garhwal Himalayas were thrown open to devotees after their closure for winters.

He also inaugurated a research institute at yoga guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar.

In Gujarat, the home state of Modi, the Congress today held the candlelight march at some district headquarters as a tribute to the slain soldiers.

Vaghela said the Congress will organise a state-wide condolence meeting in Ahmedabad tomorrow in the memory of Naib Subedar Paramjeet Singh of 22 Sikh Infantry and Head Constable Prem Sagar of 200th Battalion of BSF.

"We will also take out a silent bike rally in Ahmedabad tomorrow to pay tribute to the soldiers decapitated by the Pakistani army," he said.

Accusing the prime minister of "marketing" the surgical strikes in the PoK, Vaghela said, "He (Modi) set aside all principles to join hands with the PDP to form government in J&K. He visited Pakistan to greet (prime minister) Nawaz Sharif on his birthday, without caring about the soldiers being killed by Pakistani army."

He also took a swipe at the Centre over absence of a "full-time defence minister".

"Kashmir is slipping out of our hand, terror activities are at their peak, and soldiers are being killed nearly every day, but the BJP-led central government does not even have a leader who can be made full-time Defence minister. In the name of nationalism, they are fooling the nation," he said.

Stating that people of the country want action, Vaghela said the government should deliver on its promises, which the BJP made before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, of giving a befitting reply to Pakistan.