Congress targets Modi for politicising national security, calls him 'emperor of lies'

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using "blood and sacrifice of soldiers as a vote garnering tool", the Congress on the 10th anniversary of the Mumbai terror attacks on Monday blamed the BJP-led Centres "flip-flop Pakistan policy" for its failure to bring the perpetrators including mastermind Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi to book.

Taking strong objection to Modi's Monday assertions in Rajasthan of "never having played politics on national security", the Congress called him an "emperor of lies" and said "Modi's politicising of national security and sacrifice of our soldiers was intrinsic to the BJP".

"Modi government's flip-flop Pakistan policy in the past four-and-a-half years has failed to bring the other perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to book. The Pakistan based perpetrators are still at large in Pakistan," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

He reminded Modi that under the Congress-led UPA Ajmal Amir Kasab was hanged in 2012, and one of the masterminds, David Headley, was convicted.

"Will Modi, who pounces upon every opportunity to politicise terror attacks, answer on his government's track record on bringing the 26/11 attackers to book," asked Surjewala pointing to attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi "virtually securing his acquittal" with the Pakistan government indicating no plan to challenge his bail in the Supreme Court.

Citing consistent terror attacks during the 54 months of BJP regime, Surjewala charged the Modi government with "compromising national security and betraying national interests".

"Lack of political action and policy has led to a disquiet border and an alarming internal security situation," he said claiming that "426 soldiers and 278 civilians" were killed in Pakistan sponsored terrorism in the last 54 months.

"Is it not true that 16 major terror attacks have taken place on our security installations that include CRPF camps, army camps, Air Force and Military stations - Pampore, Uri, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amarnath Yatra attack, Sunjwan Army Camp, where scores of our precious lives have been lost," questioned Surjewala.

The Congress also accused Modi of imperilling India's safety and security citing 500 per cent increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan since May 2014 and the government allocating only "1.58 per cent" of GDP to Armed Forces in Budget 2018-19, the lowest since 1962".

The Congress also targeted Modi over "Chinese fortification of Doklam" and "playing havoc with India's internal security" by permitting Left wing extremism to raise its head.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)