Rajnath points finger at Pak over attack on CRPF convoy

A three-member team of Home Ministry officials will visit Kashmir on Tuesday to find out if there were any lapses involved in the attack in Pampore, the deadliest one on security forces in recent years, in which eight CRPF personnel were killed and 21 injured.

The team will look into the possible increase of cross border Infiltration and practices being followed during the movement of paramilitary forces convoy in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, while condemning the incident and paying tributes to the deceased eight CRPF personnel, said the people of the state were the “worst sufferers” of such attacks as these deprive them of development and employment.

Observing that such attacks “defame” the state, she highlighted that the strike had been carried out during Ramzan, the holy month when “people should be seeking forgiveness and expiation for past sins” and “making sure not to hurt others.”

After the attack, CRPF has moved about half-a-dozen heavy-armoured mine protected vehicles (MPVs), which were earlier used for anti-Naxal operations, to Kashmir Valley to effectively secure its troops deployed there.

“An attempt is being made by these terrorists and our neighbouring country to destabilise India,” Singh said in a clear reference to Pakistan but without naming it. “I want to praise the bravery of our security men. I salute their courage. Terrorists attacked them (security men) deceitfully. But our security men killed those two terrorists successfully,” he said addressing a function in Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab to mark the 300th martyrdom anniversary of legendary Sikh Warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, in an apparent reference to Pakistan, said India seeks peace “but from the position of strength and not from the position of weakness”. He said the attack is a “fallout of frustration” as he cited the records of last one month during which 25-30 terrorists have been gunned down after their infiltration from Pakistani side.

“I am pained that eight jawans were killed. Why, how it happened and whose fault it was, it will be clear after an enquiry,” he said.  Rajnath Singh said he has asked the Home Secretary to send a team to Pampore “to look into any lapses so that we can correct it in the future and our jawans do not face martyrdom in such incidents.” 

The team, to be headed by Secretary (Border Management) Sushil Kumar, is to submit its report at the earliest. The other officials are Special Secretary (Internal Security) Mahesh Kumar Singla and Joint Secretary Gyanesh Kumar.

“We should greet and welcome the bravery of our security people and the way they are working with such valour and courage... India cannot forget those security men who got martyred. They are not with us now and we pay our tributes to them,” the Home Minister said.

Mehbooba, who laid floral wreaths on the coffins of the CRPF personnel in Srinagar, said targeting security forces personnel who were only doing their duty was “condemnable”.

“This is a fasting month when people should be seeking forgiveness and expiation for past sins. This is the time when we should be making sure not to hurt others. This kind of attack where you are affecting families by snatching their bread earner is condemnable,” she said.

“Nothing can be achieved by this.... We are only defaming Kashmir and the state by these acts. We also deal a setback to the religion we practice,” the Chief Minister said.

Emphasising that militants were also giving a setback to tourism of Kashmir, she told reporters that “People from many countries have started arriving but this would send a wrong signal about the situation here.”  She said such attacks also deprived Jammu and Kashmir from its share of development witnessed in the rest of India.