SRINAGAR: The Congress on Monday attacked the Centre over the deadly terror attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district and said it should spell out what steps are being taken to establish peace in the Union Territory.
The party’s media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera, referring to the T20 World Cup India versus Pakistan match, also asked whether terrorism and cricket can go together.
On Sunday evening, terrorists opened fire at a 53-seater bus, on its way from the Shiv Khori temple to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, causing it to veer off the road and fall into a deep gorge near the Teryath village of the Poni area on Sunday. The bus was ferrying pilgrims from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
Nine people, including a two-year-old boy from Rajasthan and a 14-year-old from Uttar Pradesh, died in the attack, officials said.
“On one hand, the swearing-in ceremony of the NDA government was going on and on the other hand, unarmed pilgrims were being attacked by terrorists in Kashmir. At the same time, a cricket match was going on between India and Pakistan,” Khera said in a video statement.
“We are being told for the last 10 years that peace has come to Kashmir. Where is the peace? For whom is there peace? There is no peace for the workers from outside. Kashmiri Pandits do not believe that peace has come. Local citizens do not believe that peace has come. There is no peace for the security forces. There is no peace for the tourists,” he said, attacking the Centre.
Khera said peace cannot come just by delivering speeches and beating one’s chest. “We want to ask whether cricket and terrorism can go together? Does peace come from rhetoric?” he said.
What concrete steps are being taken for peace, Khera asked and said the whole country is demanding an answer to this.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the Congress pays tribute to the victims and offers its condolences to their families.
“We also wish for the speedy recovery of those who are injured. We stand with the country and the government against violence and terrorism. Those who attacked the bus of devotees are cowards,” she said.
Why is the law and order in shambles, Shrinate asked.
