BJP's 'fact check' to counter Congress on terror casualties in Kashmir impresses none

Data on civilian and security force personnel casualty from 2004 to July 9, 2017, was put out by the BJP's social media cell.

India lost 88 security force personnel and 14 civilians in Kashmir in 2016 alone. The statistics were disclosed by BJP in an attempt to counter the Congress' claims of Modi government's Kashmir policy leading to unrest. The BJP hoped to send across the point that terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir is the result of failed policies of Congress but the numbers are only worrying.

The BJP posted statistics of civilian and security force casualties since 2004 in Kashmir due to terrorism. The party claimed that the Narendra Modi government was fighting to defeat terrorism but the numbers failed to give anyone the confidence of this becoming a reality.

In 2017, only up to July 9, according to BJP's own numbers, 40 security forces personnel lost their lives to terrorist attacks while 30 civilians were killed. In 2014, when the BJP came to power the number of civilian casualties stood at 32 and 51 security force personnel had lost their lives.

In the last four years, 220 security forces personnel have lost their lives, ever since the BJP came to power (the numbers are only upto July 9, 2017). However, by BJP's own numbers, between 2009 and 2013, when the Congress was in power, the total number of casualties on security forces side in terror-related incidents were 255 for five years. With a year and a half left for completion of their term, the number of casualties in under the BJP regime is dangerously close to five years of Congress government.

The BJP chose to put out statistics on casualties in Kashmir in terror related incidents after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to blame Modi government's policies for increasing terrorism in the valley.

The tweet came a day after the cowardly terror attack on unarmed, unsuspecting Amarnath Yatris in Kashmir. In an attempt to rubbish Rahul Gandhi's claims, the BJP said that more than 100 terrorists have been killed till July by security forces. While the BJP hoped that they will be able to convey that terrorism in Kashmir is a result of Congress' failed policies, the increasing number of casualties only came as an embarrassment to the party.

OneIndia News