TCN News
The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has vehemently condemned the dastardly attack on unarmed, innocent Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Gujarat wherein seven precious lives were lost and 19 others were injured in Batingu, near Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir on July 10. However, the party smells conspiracy stating serious doubts about the whole tragedy and its fallout therein.
SDPI national president A. Sayeed in a statement expressed apprehension that the whole tragedy may be a stage-managed conspiracy by the BJP to bolster its nose-diving fortunes in the face of Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel in Gujarat. The Patidar stir has virtually put the state and the central BJP leadership on its toes in view of fast approaching Gujarat state Assembly polls slated to be held in December this year. While condoling the deaths of the deceased, the party blamed the intelligence agencies of the government of having failed in their duty to anticipate such heinous attack by the extremists and save the lives of the citizens of the country.
Sayeed has demanded a probe into attack by an impartial agency to spell out whether it was just mayhem by some militant group or there was something more than that meets the eye.
Sayeed said, “However, it is almost certain that the BJP in Gujarat will use the millitant attack to whip up pre-election frenzy, with the attack, terrorism, Kashmir, Muslims all again becoming part of what the party members themselves expect now to be a high voltage campaign prior to the December polls for the Gujarat state legislative assembly.”
“Among other designs, the attack appears to have been carried out with the sinister aim to wreck communal harmony and create mass disorder in the state and in the rest of the country. Perhaps the perpetrators of this attack need a few lessons on how and why the secular fabric of the Valley has survived despite the conflict of the decades,” said Sayeed in the press statement.
He pointed out that this year’s yatra was being organised under the “highest-ever multi-tier security setup” as intelligence agencies had warned that militants were planning to target 100 policemen and as many pilgrims participating in the Amarnath Yatra. That despite heightened security the terrorists managed to do their despicable act shows that there are chinks in our armour.
Meanwhile, Sayeed hailed that Kashmiris, individually and in organisations, along with others in the country have come out in strong condemnation of the attack. This kind of a response by Kashmiris certainly offers hope, especially at a time when the right-wing frenzy is disturbingly finding its roots in the rest of the country. Common Kashmiris, who have always welcomed and facilitated the Amarnath Yatris, are shocked by this coward but horrific act which has been taken as an attack against the timeless values of Kashmiri plural ethos and identity.