Political parties condemn terror act in one voice

NEW DELHI: A day after the terror attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Kashmir left 40 personnel dead and many injured, opposition parties on Friday set aside their political differences to condemn the act and also called off their political programmes as a mark of respect for the dead.

Terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammad, which Indian authorities claim is backed by Pakistan, owned responsibility for the attack. Union home minister Rajnath Singh has called an all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the situation in Kashmir. Vicepresident M Venkaiah Naidu hit out at Pakistan for fostering “terror groups”. “It is unfortunate that our neighbour has been aiding, abetting, funding and training terrorist groups. This attempt to destabilise...progress can no longer be tolerated.”

Condemning the attack, Congress president Rahul Gandhi described the assault as an attack on India’s soul and said his party as well as the entire Opposition was fully supportive of the government and the security forces. He said no amount of hatred or anger can affect the love and affection that India is built on.

Most political parties were cautious in their reactions, refraining from indulging in a blame game or accusing the government of lapses. They, however, did ask the government to do the needful.

Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party leader, Akhilesh Yadav, who visited a grieving family on Friday, said the country’s biggest strength is the emotional ties between people. He had, however, on Thursday asked the BJP — the ruling party at the Centre — to shift its focus from electoral politics to issues of national relevance.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati also condemned the act, but said the current dispensation should put on hold all its political programmes to uncover the terror plot and also come up with a solution to the problem.

The attack in Pulwama has come weeks before the country and a clutch of states go to polls. Most political parties have begun to prepare for the elections and are in the midst of organising rallies and contact programmes.

Late on Thursday, the BJP announced that it will suspend all poll-related activities. Apart from Prime Minister Modi and senior BJP leaders who called off their political programmes, parties such as the SP and the Congress too have put on hold all its events for three days as a tribute to the soldiers. The Congress has declared a three-day mourning; and the SP has announced it will not hold public programmes

Regional satraps such as the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh have also condoled the deaths and condemned the terror attack carried out by Adil Ahmad Dar, a resident of Kashmir’s Pulwama.