"Ye Shaheed Modi Ji Ki Wajah Se Huye," RJD's Tej Pratap Yadav Stirs Controversy On Poonch Attack

Danapur (Bihar): RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav on Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him the reason behind the martyrdom of the soldier in the terrorist attack on the Indian Air Force vehicle in Jammu & Kashmir's Poonch on May 4.

Speaking with the reporters, Tej Pratap Yadav also launched an attack on the opposition and said, "...They have just made people fight each other, caused Hindu-Muslim differences."

He added further, "Shaheed kinke wajah se huye? Modi ji ki wajah se huye. Pehle kahan koi shaheed hota tha? (Who caused the martyrdom? It is because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Were there any martyrs before?"

A day before, former Chief Minister of Punjab Charanjit Singh Channi also attacked the BJP and alleged that the Poonch terror attack was "pre-planned" and said such "stuntbaazi" was done to make the BJP win the elections.

"This is stuntbaazi. And not the (terror) attacks. When elections come, such stunts are done to make the BJP win. These are pre-planned attacks, there is no truth in them...," alleged the Congress leader.

"To kill people and to play with their bodies....BJP knows it...," he further alleged.
The BJP tore into the former Punjab Chief Minister's statement saying the Congress was always disrespectful to the soldiers.

"Congress is saying that he was martyred because of elections. This mentality is not just appalling but disrespectful to those who serve our nation. Pakistan and Rahul Gandhi continue to support each other while Congress is belittling the sacrifice of our Jawans," BJP leader Manjinder Sirsa had said.

On the evening of May 4, an Indian Air Force (IAF) soldier was killed and four others were injured in the terror attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian Air Force on Sunday mourned Corporal Vikky Pahade, who succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack on May 4.

"The CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and all personnel of (the) Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in (the) Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in this hour of grief," read a post on the official X handle of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The attack came ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in the Anantnag-Rajouri seat for the 2024 general elections. The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in five phases from April 19 to May 20.

Notably, the opposition in 2019 alleged that the BJP had "used" the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 personnel of CRPF were killed by terrorists. They further alleged that the consequent air strike at Balakot in the neighbouring country was done by the BJP to win the Lok Sabha polls that year.