Congress policy in 'sync' with terrorists, alleges BJP

Attacking Rahul Gandhi, the BJP today alleged that the Congress under him has "designed" its politics in sync with terrorists as it cited the reported comments of its leader Ghulam Nabi Azad that Army operations in Jammu and Kashmir killed more civilians than terrorists.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Azad's comments have drawn support from terror group LeT and will make Pakistan happy.

He claimed a new Congress has emerged and under its president Rahul Gandhi and with the blessings of Sonia Gandhi, it wants to strengthen the forces working to break India.

Prasad also referred to the reported comments of Congress leader Saifuddin Soz that the people of Kashmir would prefer independence and asked Rahul Gandhi if he would take action against Azad and Soz.

The Congress' commitment to the country has undergone a sea change since Rahul Gandhi took charge, he told a press conference.

He described Azad's comments as "shameful and irresponsible" and the Congress' pathological hatred of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP has become a "corner stone" of its politics in which national interest at times takes a back seat.

Prasad claimed that Pakistan will use Azad's remarks to push its agenda of human rights violations against India.

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, he said nothing better could be expected of his colleagues when he himself extended support to those in the JNU who raised slogans against the country, questioned the Army's surgical strike in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and made barbs like 'khoon ki dalali' aimed at the government.

The killings of alleged IS terrorists in Kashmir only confirm that the security forces must be given a free hand, he said.

The BJP leader said Azad also called the visits of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat to the house of Aurangzeb, a soldier abducted and killed by terrorists in Kashmir, a drama and wondered if the Congress has fallen to such a low.

"Can there be something more shameful than this," he asked.

With these statements of Congress leaders, LeT has now started blaming Indian security forces for the killing of Shujaat Bukhari, a Srinagar-based editor.

Congress' hatred for Modi has led it to "compromise" the respect for the armed forces and their courage, he said.

He also cited figures to claim that more terrorists were killed under the NDA government.

Security forces had killed 72 and 67 terrorists in 2012 and 2013 and the figure rose to 110 in 2014, when the BJP-led NDA came to power at the Centre, 108 in 2015, 150 in 2016 and 217 in 2017. Seventy-five of them were killed till May this year, he said.

Azad's comments that the Army was killing more civilians than terrorists seek to "break the morale of the forces, bring them into disrepute and seriously impinge on the country's security".

He noted that Azad is a former chief minister of the state and is aware of the extent of terrorism there.

The BJP will raise the issue in Parliament when its Monsoon Session begins next month, he said.