Spokesperson: Shri Deepender Singh Hooda: He said that first of all, we salute our martyrs for making the supreme sacrifice for the motherland in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir. We pay our heartfelt tributes and while expressing our condolences to all the martyr families, we would like to say that not only the Indian National Congress but every Indian is standing with the martyr families in this hour of grief.

This cowardly attack on our army is highly condemnable and the worrying thing is that - this is the fifth terrorist attack within a month. You might remember that on June 26, a similar encounter took place in Doda and on June 09, when the Prime Minister was taking oath, a similar daring attack was carried out on a bus going to Vaishnodevi.

So, the Indian National Congress expresses serious concern over the continuous attacks. The government is not taking this issue with the seriousness it should, so as a responsible opposition, we want to draw the attention of the government towards this, want to urge that the government should take this matter very seriously. And as all the countrymen and a responsible opposition, the Indian National Congress is ready to support every step taken by the government in every way, in view of the security of the country. All the countrymen feel that these terrorists should be answered in their own language and we are ready to give full cooperation from our side, but as a responsible opposition, we want to bring some suggestions and some questions to the notice of the government.

A disturbing trend has emerged that the Jammu region, especially the south of Pir Panjal, for the first time it appears that terrorists have made this region the centre of their activity. In the Jammu region, after January 2023, the number of civilians and security personnel martyred in terrorist incidents has almost doubled, i.e., between January 01, 2023 and June 2024, on one hand there were 42 casualties of civilians and security forces, while in the previous period there were 24.

According to the South Asian Terrorism Portal, the percentage of civilian and security personnel killed as a percentage of total casualties is now at the same level as it was 20 years ago during NDA-1 in 2004, while it had come down significantly during the UPA years and thereafter in the last few years, this ratio is basically what I am calling the ratio is civilian and security forces accounted for 48% of causalities and terror strikes, rest being terrorists. Tuesday, July 9, 2024