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Politics

Amid BJP's Silence on Satya Pal Malik’s Revelations, Congress Demands White Paper on Pulwama

“We demand that the government of India publish a White Paper on the Pulwama attacks, describing how the attacks took place, what were the ‘intelligence failures’, why troops were denied aircraft, what security lapses occurred and the role of CRPF, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, National Security Adviser and the Prime Minister’s Office,” said Congress party leaders.

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New Delhi: The Congress party has demanded a white paper on the Pulwama terror attack after the stunning revelations made by former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik in an interview with The Wire that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans became easy targets as the Narendra Modi government denied their request to travel by aircraft from Jammu to Srinagar.

Addressing a joint press conference on Tuesday at the party headquarters, Congress leaders Shaktisinh Gohil, Colonel (retd) Rohit Chaudhry and Wing Commander (retd) Anuma Acharya raised serious questions for the Modi government about the lapses that resulted in the death of 40 CRPF jawans at Pulwama in February 2019.

The Union government and the BJP have maintained silence at the revelations made by Malik, a BJP leader who was appointed governor by the Modi government. They have not responded to the views of former army chief General Shankar Roychowdhury, who said, “The primary responsibility behind the loss of lives in Pulwama rests on the government headed by the Prime Minister, who is advised by the national security adviser.” 

The two military veterans said that in previous terror attacks, such as the 2011 Mumbai bomb explosions and the Pathankot attack in 2016, inquiries were held and findings made public. This was essential to establish the truth, fix responsibility, and strengthen India’s national security, they said.

“Therefore, we demand that the government of India publish a White Paper on the Pulwama attacks, describing how the attacks took place, what were the ‘intelligence failures’, why troops were denied aircraft, what security lapses occurred and the role of CRPF, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence, National Security Adviser and the Prime Minister’s Office,” the party leaders demanded.

Chaudhry asked, “How did the militants procure around 300 kg of explosives? How could this huge quantity remain undetected despite heavy security presence in south Kashmir, especially the Pulwama-Anantnag-Avantipora belt? Four years after the attack, how far has the inquiry progressed? Why is there a delay in completing the inquiry and letting the nation know its findings?”

“The tri-service courier of the Air Force is always ready. So, why were troops denied aircraft? These questions come to our mind and they must be answered in a comprehensive report,” said Acharya.