New Delhi, April 28: The Congress today held up statistics to accuse the Narendra Modi government of a "horrifying" record on national security and attack its high-decibel "nationalism" pitch.
"National security is a key element of nationalism. The BJP does partisan politics under the cloak of nationalism but its record on national security is horrifying," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said.
"If we compare data from the Modi government's 35 months with (those from) the Manmohan Singh government's last 35 months, the difference between word and deed comes to the fore."
Singhvi cited official figures relating to the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistan and China borders, the Northeast and the Maoists.
"Civilian deaths in Kashmir over the last 35 months is 91 while it was 50 (during the last 35 months of the Manmohan government). While 198 jawans died in this period under the Modi (government), the number was 103 under the UPA," Singhvi said.
"Ceasefire violations under BJP (rule) number 1,343 and terror incidents, 172. Under the UPA (over its government's last 35 months), the figures were 470 and 85, respectively."
Singhvi said 442 jawans and 278 civilians had died in Maoism-related incidents under BJP rule, while the figures were 367 and 268 during the UPA's last 35 months.
In the Northeast, he said, 344 civilians and 99 jawans had died after the BJP came to power at the Centre while the figures were 229 and 47, respectively, over the stipulated period under UPA rule.
Singh said he had cited all these figures not to score political points but to hold up a mirror to the BJP, which he accused of using nationalistic rhetoric to malign Opposition parties.
On China, he said: "The government says there are no incursions, only transgressions because of differences in perceptions about the borders. During UPA times, the 'transgressions' were all 'incursions'."
Singhvi recalled Modi's acerbic attacks on the UPA government on these issues and accused him of an about-turn after coming to power.
"Modi attacked us for striking business deals with China when incursions were taking place. What is happening now, after the jhoola (swing) ceremony on the banks of the Sabarmati?" he said.
The reference was to the red carpet Modi had laid out for Chinese President Xi Jinping on the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat, where the two were photographed on a swing.
Singhvi said that China had repeatedly rebuffed and humiliated India, blocking UN sanctions on Lashkar-e-Toiba founder Hafeez Sayeed, stalling India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and renaming cities in Arunachal Pradesh.
He recalled that in August 2013, Modi had been quoted as saying (in reference to cross-border attacks on India's army): "Shame on you who are running the government in Delhi, you are spraying acid on the wounds of 125 crore Indians."
"Now, with Pakistan continuing the terror attacks and (with the) Chinese incursions, should we use the same language about Modi?" Singhvi said.
He said the situation in Kashmir, ruled by the People's Democratic Party in alliance with the BJP, was tragic.
"There is no point in chief minister Mehbooba Mufti meeting the Prime Minister when the two parties behave in the state like two poles. Their workers can't talk, can't agree on a single point. Jammu and Kashmir seems to be on autopilot because this government is directionless."
Asked what the way forward in Kashmir was and whether the Congress supported the Centre's stand against a dialogue with Pakistan, Singhvi said his party didn't know "what this government's policy is".
"How can we comment? One day they say, 'No engagement', another day they invite the (Pakistani spy agency) ISI to probe (the) Pathankot (terror attack on an airbase)," Singhvi said.
"Suddenly, the Prime Minister lands unscheduled in Pakistan (on Christmas Day in 2015) and then again says, 'No dialogue'. What can we say in this situation?"
