NEW DELHI: Congress plans to focus on rising terrorism in Jammu during the Parliament session, criticizing the BJP’s handling of security.
As the monsoon session of Parliament approaches next week, the Congress party is preparing to intensify its criticism of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sources reveal that the Congress will focus on terrorism in the Jammu region, demanding answers from the government regarding its failure to address the escalating attacks on security forces.
A senior Congress leader stated, “This is a critical security issue. The BJP has suggested that removing statehood would end militancy. Now, they have granted extensive powers to the governor, ensuring that, regardless of the ruling party, the BJP effectively controls the Union Territory.”
Earlier this week, a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district resulted in the deaths of five security personnel, including a Captain. The ‘Kashmir Tigers,’ a shadow group of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), claimed responsibility for attacks in Doda and Kathua, where ten security personnel were killed. The Kashmir Tigers first appeared in January 2021 after the abrogation of Article 370, claiming responsibility for an attack on a police bus in Srinagar that killed three soldiers and injured several others.
Given the intensity of recent gun battles, the Jammu region has seen three attacks each year against security forces in 2022 and 2023. This year alone, six attacks have already been recorded. In response, Congress has been staging protests in the Jammu region to highlight the central government’s failure to curb infiltration and attacks.
In 2024, according to a media report, eleven security personnel have lost their lives: four Army soldiers in Doda, five soldiers in Kathua in July, one Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel in Poonch in May, and a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in June. The recent death has brought the toll to twelve.
A Kashmir-based politician recently commented that decreased snowfall in border regions has led to increased infiltration during June, July, and August. Another Congress leader suggested that these terror attacks could consolidate Hindu votes in Jammu, impacting the political landscape.
Sources in Jammu and Kashmir indicate that the rise in terror attacks in the Jammu region is due to intensified security in Kashmir, which has shifted focus to Jammu. “Additionally, with reduced local militancy in Kashmir, militants from outside India may be finding it easier to infiltrate through the Pir Panjal range. With the elimination of local militants and Ground Workers (OGWs) in Kashmir, there is less space for militants to establish and strengthen their bases,” the source added.