Cong questions PM Modi, HM Shah on Pulwama attack, corruption allegations

Jammu Tawi, Sept 20: Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, on Friday demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the revelations made by former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on the Pulwama terror attack and allegations of corruption.

Expressing concern over the silence maintained by the BJP's top leadership till date, Tiwari said it is a clear indication that “there is something fishy”.

“Satya Pal Malik, who was appointed as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir by the BJP government, stated that there were intelligence failures and that the Central government denied aircraft for the movement of security personnel which led to the devastating Pulwama terror attack in 2019,” he told reporters here.

Tiwari called for clarity from Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah on Malik's accusations, which also include corruption allegations related to power projects and insurance schemes in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Malik's revelations about national security are startling. Malik, appointed by Narendra Modi, exposed how the prime minister asked him to remain silent after the terror attack in which 40 soldiers attained martyrdom,” he alleged.

Tiwari raised concerns about how RDX was smuggled into Jammu and Kashmir, questioning the government's response to the security lapse.

“As a nation, we demand answers from the prime minister. How was RDX smuggled into J&K? Why didn't the government provide air transport for soldiers? These allegations are not coming from the opposition but from a governor appointed by the BJP,” he said.

The Congress leader alleged that Malik had been offered large sums of money to aid influential business houses, implying that Jammu and Kashmir had become a Union Territory to enable the exploitation of its natural resources by the BJP's associates.

“The investigation into the Pulwama attack has yielded no conclusions after five years, highlighting the government's incompetence,” Tiwari said.

He also criticized Prime Minister Modi's silence over a controversial statement made by Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif just before Modi's visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Tiwari accused the BJP of lacking the willpower to combat terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, claiming it had spread from the Valley to Jammu.

He contrasted the current situation with the firm responses to Pakistan by the Congress-led governments during the 1965 and 1971 wars.

“The BJP has chosen to engage in diplomatic ‘jugalbandi' that compromises our national security,” Tiwari said.

“It's time for the BJP to stop misleading the nation and start answering the serious questions that both the public and our martyred soldiers' families are asking. The nation demands accountability,” he asserted.

Tiwari also criticized the BJP's handling of Jammu and Kashmir, accusing the party of controlling the region through its alliance with the PDP earlier and now through the lieutenant governor's office.

“What has the BJP accomplished for the people of J&K? They have spread falsehoods in public rallies while the region has become a hotbed of drug addiction under their rule,” he said.

Responding to the high voter turnout, Tiwari said it indicated the public's resentment against the BJP-controlled administration.

In reaction to Prime Minister Modi's recent rallies in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress leader expressed disappointment that the former chose to ignore the region's real issues.

“During his two public rallies, the prime minister spoke lies, ignoring the harsh realities on the ground. Under the BJP rule, Jammu and Kashmir has tragically become a hotbed of drug addiction. This is perhaps the BJP's biggest ‘achievement' — the alarming rise in substance abuse,” Tiwari said.

He also accused the BJP of using the plight of the Kashmiri Pandit community as a political tool for electoral gains while offering no real solutions.

“The BJP's failure to address terrorism, its exploitation of J&K's resources and its misuse of communities for political advantage are leading the region into turmoil. The nation deserves answers and accountability from its leadership,” Tiwari said. (Agencies)