JAMMU: Condemning attack by Pakistan as “abominable and inhumane”, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seriously take up the issue of cease fire violation with Pakistan and to put an end to it.
“It is abominable and inhumane on the part of Pakistan to target civilians, more so on the eve of Eid and this deserved to be condemned unequivocally and strongly”. Azad was on a tour of a number of villages in Arnia Sector including Rehaal, Deoli, Salher and Arnia Town that have come under heavy fire by Pakistan.
“Pakistani troops are resorting to heavy firing and targeting poor villagers, their houses and livestock. We urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seriously take up (cross- border) firing issue with neighbouring country”, Azad said. The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha interacted with number of people including women and elderly lot, who are forced to migrate to safer areas and are camping in school buildings.
Azad said that heavy fire and shelling that is being witnessed for the past four to five months has been witnessed in 1971 or during war times and that the “intransigence of Pakistani forces is severely testing our patience”.
“At least 5 civilians got killed and scores have been left seriously injured in the last two days due to the Pakistani firing and shelling and that it is imperative for Government of India to view this grave situation with the earnestness it deserves and must ensure civilians are not targeted,” he said.
Azad also supported the demand of local populace of declaring the border belt especially that comes under firing range, as Backward Area so that special attention is paid towards the people living in such areas and their children are compensated for the disadvantage that they suffer from by standing guard to our borders.
Attacking Modi government over its “tall claims” made during the poll days, he said that serious issues have been “relegated” to the level of “issuing press statements and uninspiring rhetoric”.
During general elections, UPA Government became the “popular whipping boy” for Modi for the ceasefire violations and the common refrain used to be “Hum Pakistan Se Nazar Mila Kar Baat Karenge”, however, when Pakistan has unabatedly been resorting to heavy firing from across the border for the last for five months and killing innocent civilians, why BJP Government and its Prime Minister is maintaining an “intriguing silence” on this issue, he asked.
Darshan Raina, Aslam Goni also accompanied Azad.
Earlier, Azad visited the government hospital here to meet those injured in shelling by Pakistan’s troops from across the Line of Control in the Jammu region.
Azad interacted with the injured and assured them of full medical support from the state government.