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Who benefited the most, asks Rahul on Pulwama attack's anniversary

Who benefited the most, asks Rahul on Pulwama attack's anniversary

Feb 14, 2020
11:48 am

What's the story

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has used the Pulwama attack of 2019 to slam Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party BJP. In a tweet, the parliamentarian from Wayanad, Kerala, asked who "benefited the most from the attack". "What is the outcome of the inquiry into the attack?" was his second question. He also asked if anyone from BJP was held accountable for lapses.

Context

Exactly a year ago, 40 CRPF soldiers were martyred

A vehicle, laced with explosives, rammed into a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the lives of 40 soldiers. Orchestrated by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Pulwama attack was the worst one to hit the Valley in decades. The suicide bomber was identified as Adil Mohammed Dar. In response to the Pulwama attack, India conducted the Balakot airstrikes and demolished Jaish's camp across the border.

Tweet

The martyrs are being remembered, but Rahul had some questions

Since morning tributes for the bravehearts have been pouring in, but Rahul saw it as an opportunity to slam BJP. He asked, "Who in the BJP Govt has yet been held accountable for the security lapses that allowed the attack?" By asking who benefited, Rahul most likely referred to BJP's historic win in 2019 elections. The Balakot airstrikes steered the public view's in the saffron party's favor.

Twitter Post

You can read his tweet here

Campaign

BJP mentioned Balakot airstrikes in some way or another

The Balakot airstrikes, conducted by Indian Air Force (IAF) on the intervening night of February 25 and 26, constantly featured in the Lok Sabha election campaign of BJP, despite the Supreme Court ordering political parties to not use army operations for electoral gains. On May 23, BJP won 300+ Lok Sabha seats and some linked this thumping victory to the successful, but dangerous, operation.

Tributes

Rajnath Singh, PM Modi said India will never forget sacrifices

While Rahul decided to put out a controversial tweet today, other politicians solemnly remembered the martyrs. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who was the Home Minister when the attack happened, said that India will never forget their sacrifice and that the country stands united against terrorism. PM Modi said the martyrs were exceptional individuals who dedicated their lives to protect the country.

Twitter Post

India will never forget their martyrdom

Memorial

A memorial, to honor the bravehearts, will be inaugurated today

At the Lethpora camp, a memorial will be inaugurated. The memorial will have pictures, names of the deceased soldiers, and CRPF's motto 'Seva and Nishtha'. "It definitely was an unfortunate incident and we have learned our lessons now. We were always extra alert during our movement but now an extra layer of alertness has been added to it," said Additional Director General of CRPF Zulfiquar Hasan.

Ties

Evidently, the Pulwama attack worsened Indo-Pak ties

India and Pakistan weren't on best terms since the 2016 Uri attack, and it nosedived further, after the Pulwama episode. New Delhi shamed Islamabad on almost all international forums and exposed how the country supports terrorism. The dedication worked and in May 2019, Masood Azhar, the chief of Jaish, was designated as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council.

Aftermath

So, has anything changed after Pulwama attack?

Pertinently, the Pulwama attack shed light on the faults of intelligence agencies. And a year on, can it be guaranteed that such an attack won't happen again? However, the probability has been reduced. "Several countermeasures have been taken including the use of mine proof vehicles, bulletproof vehicles, check posts, observers on-road," Advisor to J&K Lieutenant Governor was quoted by India Today.