Kolkata: The 5-member Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation after visiting the cross-border shelling-hit Rajouri district of Jammu & Kashmir on Friday, slammed the Centre for neglecting the families living in border areas.
The delegation members said they were returning with “broken hearts” after witnessing the human tragedy caused by Pakistani shelling. The team also expressed solidarity with the people whose houses were damaged in the heavy shelling from Pakistan.
It was the last day of the three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir. The delegation met the affected family members and also visited the Government Medical College in Rajouri where they met the injured and were briefed about the measures taken to treat them. The Trinamool Congress delegation consisted of MPs Derek O’Brien, Sagarika Ghose and Mohd Nadimul Haque, Bengal minister Manas Bhunia and former parliamentarian Mamatabala Thakur.
The TMC delegation attacked the Centre for its failure to protect innocent people. “Why have they (the people) not received better protection? These innocent people are on the frontlines, defenceless against cross-border shelling. Why must they suffer such grave injuries?” Sagarika Ghose asked. Expressing her sorrow, Ghose further stated: “Our hearts are broken. We return with deep sorrow after witnessing the suffering endured by the people of this region.” Expressing their condolences to the families who lost their kin, Ghose said they came to Rajouri to assure the affected people that the people of West Bengal and India were
standing with them.
The Trinamool Congress delegation visited the border areas over the past two days. On Thursday they visited Poonch. “The people living in these border areas are the most vulnerable and sadly, the most neglected. We met Imtiaz Ahmed, who lost his hand. He was the sole breadwinner of his family but now he would be unable to work or earn a living. He has three children and is left helpless,” she said.
“We also met 12-year-old Ruksana, who suffered severe damage to her leg. She can no longer run or attend school. These are heartbreaking human tragedies unfolding in the border regions of Rajouri and Poonch,” she
further added.
Another MP Derek O’Brien said: “What we’ve seen in the last two hours is deeply moving. It is not easy, in public life, to come and share thoughts with people who are grieving. Hon’ble CM Mamata Banerjee has sent us here, and we’re here to tell these families that we stand with you.”
The team also visited Christ School, where 12-year-old twins, Zain Ali and Urwa Fatima, tragically perished in the blast. Another student, Rehan Bhargav, was grievously injured, while young Rajwansh lost an arm, Trinamool Congress said on social media.