New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) In a fresh attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Pulwama terror attack, Congress party on Friday accused Mr Modi of being ‘insensitive’ and ‘incompetent’ as ‘he continued his photoshoot just after the terror attack and addressed a rally without mentioning the incident.
Addressing mediapersons at AICC headquarters, party spokesperson and former Union Minister Manish Tiwari alleged that the ruling party is trying to silence the opposition, when they are asking questions.
“Trying to package jingoism to subterfuge their own national security failures, trying to label those asking hard questions as sympathisers of Pakistan will not make us let them get away without answering our questions”, said Mr Tewari, referring to the allegation by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that the Congress is talking on the lines of Pakistan.
“The NDA-BJP govt needs to understand that asking the hard questions and expressing solidarity with the nation in an hour of national tragedy are not mutually exclusive. Asking hard questions strengthens the national security”, the Congress leader said.
Mr Tewari, while showing a video clip telecast by the DD News about Prime Minister Modi addressing a rally though mobile phone at 5.10 PM on the day of Pulwama terror attack happened, said, Mr Modi does not mention a word about the attack.
“Was it that between 3:10PM and 5:10PM the Prime Minister of India was unaware that a terror attack had taken place in Pulwama? If that is the case, what does it speak about command and control systems in the highest echelons of the Indian state?”, he said.
The Congress leader further said that the Pulwama attack took place at 3:10 in the afternoon, and if Mr Modi was informed, what was he doing between 3:10PM and 5:10PM?
'The Prime Minister continues his photoshoot as 'Commander Corbett'. There can be no greater insensitivity than this,' he alleged.
Mr Tewari said if there was a breakdown between Mr Modi and his office, then there is no greater incompetence than this.
“We are a nuclear state. And if there is a breakdown in communication between the Prime Minister and his office, it has very potentious implications. That is why this nation must know from the mouth of Prime Minister, what was he doing between 3:10PM and 5:10PM?”, he asked.
Taking on Union Water Resource Minister Nitin Gadkari for his statement that India will stop the flow of eastern rivers to Pakistan, Mr Tewari said, 'Yesterday, Mr Gadkari says that we will stop the flow of all eastern rivers to Pakistan. Somebody needs to ask them, do dams get built in a day? The two projects he alludes to were cleared in 1999 and 2006”.
“As the oldest political party in the country we will continue to ask hard questions because the nation demands answers from this government and we will not allow jingoistic arrogance to sweep monumental security failures under the carpet”, the Congress leader added.
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