Govt calls all-party meet over attack, Cong offers support

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government has called an allparty meeting, which will be held after Union home minister Rajnath Singh’s return from the Kashmir Valley.

The Congress on Friday extended full support to the government, saying “we are not going to be divided”.

Earlier, Rajnath Singh flew to the Valley to assess the security situation following the terror attack in Pulwama .

The decision to call an allparty meet was taken during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi. Emerging from the CCS meet, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said, “The home minister, after his return from Kashmir, will soon call an all-party meeting.”

The meeting is likely to be held on Saturday, when the government will brief the parties about the Pulwama terror attacks and security situation in Kashmir.

At Cabinet Committee on Security meet, the government decided to “initiate” steps to completely isolate Pakistan over its continued support to terrorism. Jaitley said, there is “incontrovertible evidence” that Pakistan has a direct hand behind the attack on the CRPF convoy.

The Congress extended its support to the government over the issue.

Party president Rahul Gandhi said, “The entire opposition will stand together with our jawans and our government.”

“This is a terrible tragedy. This type of violence done against our security forces is absolutely disgusting. The aim of terrorism is to divide this country and we are not going to be divided,” Gandhi said.

The Congress also announced cancellation of the political rallies and functions of Gandhi and other senior party leaders on Friday in the wake of Pulwama terror attack.

Gandhi said, “This is a time of mourning. This is a time of sadness. This is a time of respect. We are fully supportive of the Government of India and our security forces.”

“There is going to be no other discussion (political) as far as I am concerned, from the Congress party over the next couple of days on this matter,” said Gandhi refusing to make any political comments at his press conference where he was flanked by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Congress leader in the Rajya Sabha.

On Thursday evening, newly appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra put off her press conference in Lucknow, saying talking politics would be “inappropriate” at this moment.

The BJP also cancelled the political functions of PM Modi and party president Amit Shah on Friday.