AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh over the fatal Doda encounter that claimed the lives of four Army personnel. Owaisi, referencing Singh’s previous statement about entering Pakistan to eliminate terrorists, questioned the government’s current response to the incident, stating, “PM Modi used to say ‘Ghar mein ghus kar marenge’. What is this then? This is a failure of the government. They are unable to control terrorism. Whatever has happened in Doda is very dangerous…”
The encounter, which took place in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, saw four Army personnel, including an officer, succumbing to injuries sustained during a clash with heavily armed terrorists. This incident marked the third significant encounter in the district’s forests within a three-week period, highlighting the escalating security concerns in the region. The Indian Army has mobilized reinforcements to eliminate the remaining militants.
Earlier in the day, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of the four soldiers and reaffirmed the commitment of the security forces to eradicate terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir. In April, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Singh had made a bold statement regarding India’s strategy to counter terrorism, stating, “If any terrorist will try to disturb India from any neighbouring country or try to conduct any terror activities in India, we will always give a befitting reply to them.” He further emphasized, “If that terrorist will run towards Pakistan (from India), Pakistan mein ghus ke marenge (will kill them by entering into Pakistan).”
The Congress party also seized the opportunity to criticize the Modi government, with Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, alleging that the soldiers were paying the price for the BJP’s flawed policies. The Congress party, through a graphic posted on X (formerly Twitter), highlighted the concerning trend of nine terrorist attacks resulting in 12 soldiers and 10 civilians killed, and 13 soldiers and 44 civilians injured within the first 38 days of the BJP’s third term.
This incident follows a week after a terrorist ambush in Kathua district led to the deaths of five soldiers and injuries to several others. The latest encounter in Doda took place on Monday evening when troops from Rashtriya Rifles and Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group conducted a joint operation in the Desa forest area. The escalating tension in the region raises serious concerns about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, putting the government’s counterterrorism strategy under intense scrutiny.
