In a tragic incident that has shaken the nation, four soldiers, including an Army officer, were killed in an encounter with terrorists in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir. Hours after the news broke, the Congress party launched a scathing attack on the central government, holding its policies responsible for the continuous violence in the region.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, expressed his condolences and criticized the BJP-led government for its handling of the situation. “Today, our soldiers were martyred in another terrorist encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. I pay my humble tribute to the martyrs and express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Such horrific incidents happening one after the other is extremely sad and worrying. These continuous terrorist attacks are revealing the poor condition of Jammu and Kashmir. Our soldiers and their families are bearing the brunt of the BJP’s wrong policies,” Gandhi posted on X. He demanded that the government take full responsibility for the security lapses and take strict action against those responsible for the attacks. “In this hour of grief, the entire country stands united against terrorism,” he added.
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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge echoed Gandhi’s sentiments, expressing his distress over the deaths and questioning the central government’s approach to the escalating violence. “Deeply distressed by the martyrdom of 4 brave Army soldiers, including an officer, in a terror encounter in Jammu & Kashmir’s Doda. Our heart goes out to the families of our bravehearts, who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of Bharat Mata. Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured, and we wish them a speedy and complete recovery,” Kharge posted on X. He called for a recalibration of the security strategy in Jammu and Kashmir, criticizing the Modi government’s response as inadequate. “Modi Govt is acting as if everything is ‘business as usual’ and nothing has changed. They must know that increasingly Jammu region is bearing the brunt of these attacks. We cannot endanger our National Security by indulging in false bravado, fake narratives and high-decibel whitewashing,” he stated.
Jairam Ramesh, a senior Congress MP, pointed out the alarming frequency of terrorist attacks in Jammu. “There have been 11 terror attacks in the last 78 days in Jammu alone. This is a wholly new development. While we must demonstrate an effective collective response cutting across political parties, the question must also be asked: what happened to all those grand claims made by the self-anointed non-biological PM and the self-styled Chanakya?” Ramesh questioned in his post on X.
The deadly encounter took place on Monday night following specific intelligence inputs, leading to a joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in Doda. The White Knight Corps reported that contact with the terrorists was established around 9 PM, resulting in a heavy firefight that claimed the lives of four Army personnel, including an officer.
In the aftermath of the encounter, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the situation, emphasizing the gravity of the ongoing conflict in the region.