PM Narendra Modi's Policies Have Created Space for Terrorists, Says Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the PDP-BJP-led government in Jammu and Kashmir, just two days after a bus carrying Amarnath pilgrims came under a terror attack killing seven people.

In a series of tweets, Rahul Gandhi highlighted "India's strategic loss", and "grave strategic blow" due to "PM Modi's policies".

"Modi’s policies have created space for terrorists in Kashmir. Grave strategic blow for India," Rahul wrote on Twitter.

In another tweet, accusing PM Modi of seeking "personal and political gain", Rahul wrote, "Short term political gain for Modi from PDP alliance has cost India massively."

"Modi’s personal gain= India's strategic loss + sacrifice of innocent Indian blood," read another tweet.

On July 10, after the terror attack on the Amarnath pilgrims, Rahul had tweeted, asking the Prime Minister to own up responsibility.

"This is a grave & unacceptable security lapse. The PM needs to accept responsibility and never allow it to happen again," Rahul had tweeted.

The security forces suspect the operation was carried out jointly by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. There were reportedly three assailants, and one of them, Ismail, arrived on a motorbike and emptied two magazines on pilgrims.

Jammu and Kashmir tourism minister Priya Sethi told CNN-News18 that the attack could be one of the repercussions of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani's death anniversary this year.

The annual yatra to Amarnath had started on June 29 from Pahalgam and Baltal amid tight security arrangements. Over 6,000 pilgrims were allowed to move towards the shrine from north Kashmir's Baltal base camp while 5,000 pilgrims started moving from the Pahalgam route. A total of 1.5 lakh pilgrims had registered for this year’s yatra. Over 40,000 CRPF personnel were deployed to guard the route.

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.