The Congress on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “silence” on the recent Poonch terror attack that killed five Army personnel and cited several terror assaults in Jammu and Kashmir in recent times to accuse the Centre of endangering national security.
On April 20, an Army vehicle came under a terror attack, killing five personnel as the vehicle caught fire following the incident in Poonch.
Also Read | Poonch attack | Terrorists used steel bullets, decamped with soldiers’ weapons
Addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said Mr. Modi had “not uttered a single word” of condolence on the Poonch terror attack even after a week but seen cracking a “rather crude joke about a suicide of a girl at a media event on Wednesday.”
“PM Modi has not come out with any reaction condemning the terror attack, even as reports indicate a Taliban link to the same,” Mr. Khera said.
Steel core bullets
The Congress spokesperson said multiple media reports indicate that the highly penetrative and ricocheting ‘steel core’ bullets used by terrorists were left behind by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, after they departed the country in August 2021. He claimed that the bullets were obtained by terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) from the Taliban.
“The Chinese-made ‘steel core’ bullets capable of piercing an armoured shield were used by NATO forces during the Afghanistan war and these bullets are part of ammunitions NATO forces have abandoned after leaving Afghanistan,” Mr. Khera said.
He also cited a New York Times report to claim U.S.-made equipment, including U.S.-made pistols, rifles, grenades, binoculars, and night-vision goggles, had found their way into the hands of Afghan gun dealers.
“Given that the Poonch attack has Taliban links, is it appropriate for the Modi Government to start its diplomatic outreach and engagement with Taliban?” asked Mr. Khera.
