AHMEDABAD, Feb 11: Against the backdrop of an attack on an Army camp in Jammu, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel today said the Centre should do something “concrete” to save lives of civilians and soldiers.
He said the current policies to fight terrorism are beyond his comprehension.
“I really don’t understand what exactly is their (Centre’s) policy. During the UPA rule, they (BJP leaders) used to say all kinds of things. They used to say stop writing love letters (to Pakistan), talk tough with them and what not…” Patel told reporters here today while responding to a query regarding the Jammu terror attack.
A group of heavily armed men struck the sprawling camp of the 36 brigade of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry in Sunjwan before dawn yesterday. Six people, including five Army personnel, were killed in the attack by suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed militants.
“Government needs to take this issue seriously now. Sometime they talk about ‘hot policy’, then they turn ‘cold’ and engage in talks. Our NSA (National Security Adviser) holds talks in some other country (with Pakistan NSA). All such things will lead us no where. Government should do something concrete to save lives of civilians and soldiers,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.
In an unveiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Patel said the BJP was responsible for the water crisis in Gujarat which has arisen due to falling water levels in the Sardar Sarovar dam.
The Narmada river water was “wasted” for political gains ahead of the state Assembly polls in December last year, he said.
“They (BJP) used to talk about linking rivers. But now, rivers are drying, forget about the linking. During elections, water was wasted. The Sabarmati river was filled to the brim so that you (Modi) can fly on a sea-plane” Patel said.
Patel alleged that the river water was released for Kutch not for providing water to people, “but for inaugurating a canal, which eventually developed cracks due to substandard construction”.
He was apparently referring to the prime minister’s seaplane ride from the Sabarmati riverfront to Dharoi dam in north Gujarat on the last day of the campaigning for the Gujarat polls.
“Water was wasted as it was released when there was no need to do so. And now, when farmers and people need water, it is not available,” the Congress leader said. (PTI)
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