Opposition parties on Tuesday asked the Central government to introspect on its ”failure” to prevent the “cowardly and ghastly” terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims despite advance intelligence inputs.
Eighteen Opposition parties, which met at Parliament Library to decide on their vice presidential candidate, unanimously passed a resolution against Monday’s terror strike, which they termed an attack on humanity and on India’s plurality and diversity.
“The government needs to introspect as to why, despite advanced intelligence inputs, was there a failure to prevent this attack?” the resolution said.
“We the leaders of the Opposition parties strongly condemn the cowardly and ghastly terrorist attack on the Amarnath yatris,” the resolution said.
Condemning the terror attack, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday also asked the Modi government to explain why it failed to protect them despite intelligence warnings about a possible attack.
The Hyderabad MP told that he strongly condemned the attack as nobody had a right to kill innocent people.
“The BJP is in power at the Centre and is also ruling Jammu and Kashmir along with the PDP. It is the moral responsibility of the government to tell people why they failed,” said the Lok Sabha member.
He pointed out that Kashmiri terrorist Syed Salahuddin in an interview to The Telegraph had indicated that such attacks would be carried out.
“It’s time the BJP at the Centre does some course correction,” he added.
Seven Amarnath pilgrims were killed and 12 injured when terrorists opened fire at a vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway on Monday night. A police official said the attack took place at Anantnag’s Batengo area around 8.30 p.m.
The attack took place when quick response teams of the Army had withdrawn from the highway around sunset, making the vehicle vulnerable.
Salim Shaikh, the driver of the bus from Valsad in south Gujarat, became the hero who saved a number of the Amarnath pilgrims during a terror attack in Anantnag district on Monday night. Amid rain of bullets, Salim continued driving the bus with one burst tyre for over two kilometres and stopped at a camp of armed forces. It was his fourth visit to Amarnath and his experience helped him succeed.
However, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Tuesday said he will nominate the driver of the Amarnath bus that was attacked by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir for a bravery award.
“We want to thank the bus driver who saved many lives amid heavy firing. The Gujarat government will nominate Salim for the bravery award with the central government,” Rupani told the media at the airport where he had come to receive the remains of the pilgrims.
Salim told reporters that God gave him the strength to keep driving despite the firing. “Firing was going on from all sides, so I kept driving and did not stop,” he said. “God gave me the strength to keep moving… I just did not stop anywhere.”
Meanwhile, the bodies of all seven Amarnath Yatra pilgrims arrived in Surat on Tuesday as the Gujarat government announcement Rs. 10 lakh compensation to the kin of each of the dead.
CM Vijay Rupani, who received the bodies at the city airport, was full of praise for Salim Shaikh, the driver of the private bus who kept driving for at least two kilometres to the nearest Army camp even after coming under attack on Monday.
Among the deceased include Usha Sonkar and Nirmala Sonkar from Dahnu in Maharashtra, Ratilal Patel and Hasuben Patel from Vadoli in Daman, Surekha Patel and Laxmiben Patel from Valsad in Gujarat and Champaben Prajapati from Gandevi in Gujarat.
The bodies of these were sent to respective places from Surat airport via ambulances. Several people were seen gathered at the natives of those deceased. The security across the state was also beefed up, with strong police presence across several places.
