Counter-strategy being chalked out to tackle terror threat in Jammu region: Union minister Jitendra Singh

Kathua/Jammu, Jan 23 (PTI) Following terror attacks in different parts of Jammu region that left seven people dead and several injured this month, Union minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said a counter-strategy is being worked out to tackle the threat.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of BJP’s state working committee meeting in Kathua district, Singh assured of decisive action against the perpetrators of the terror attacks.

Seven people were killed and 14 more injured in a terrorist attack in Dhangri village of Rajouri early this month, while nine others were injured in twin explosions in the Narwal area of Jammu on Saturday.

“Some terror groups have changed their focus from Kashmir to Jammu region and counter-strategies are being worked out. The strategies are not discussed in public but we want to assure (the people) that appropriate action is being taken to meet the challenge,” the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office said.

To a question about the Narwal twin explosions, Singh said the Union home minister is personally monitoring the case on a daily basis.

“I am sure the Jammu and Kashmir administration, in close cooperation with the central government, will take decisive action,” he said.

On the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said the government allowed the foot march of the opposition party in true spirit of democracy and constitution.

“We did not stop them like the previous governments stopped our yatra from time to time. Syama Prasad Mukherji’s yatra was stopped from entering J&K on May 11, 1953 when he was arrested and jailed in Srinagar, where he died under mysterious circumstances 40 days later. The ‘Ekta Yatra’ under the then BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi and Narendra Modi was stopped (in 1991), while three BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar were detained at Jammu airport and deported to Punjab in 2011,” he said.

Singh said the previous government adopted the policy of oppression against the BJP.

On the agenda of the working committee meeting, he said it was a routine affair after the national-level meeting of the BJP to discuss the achievements of the party and plan the strategy for the coming three months with focus on political and social activities.

The meeting was also attended by BJP national general secretary in-charge of J&K Tarun Chugh and J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina.

Chugh blamed the Congress for building an “anti-national and divisive narrative” along with National Conference and the PDP to reap undue benefits in politics.

“Their anti-people design murdered democracy in J&K. The misdeeds of these parties made J&K a terrorist hub,” he alleged.

Raina thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for unprecedented growth and development in Jammu and Kashmir, and said, “Our brave security forces will soon eliminate all terrorists who are still taking innocent precious lives.”

He said his party is ready for assembly elections and will form the next government in J&K with absolute majority.