Has India Not Seen Any Terrorist Attack After Modi Govt Came Into Power, As Defence Minister Claims?

On January 12, during Bharatiya Janata Party’s national convention in New Delhi, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that there have been no major terror attacks since the Modi government came into power. She further said that PM Modi had ensured that terrorists got no opportunity to “disturb India’s peace”.

However, the available data says otherwise.

No terror attacks?

If one were to consider the data compiled by the US State Department, which came out in 2018, India witnessed the third highest number of terrorist attacks in 2016. India, with 927 attacks, stood only behind Iraq and Afghanistan. Our neighbour Pakistan recording 724 attacks, occupying the fourth position.

Another portal, the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) said that in 2018, there were at least 941 terrorism and insurgency-linked fatalities. For 2017, this number stood at 805. Jammu and Kashmir alone recorded 2,936 instanced of ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2018. In these instances, about 61 people were killed and 250 injured.

Also, as reported by Fact Checker, some of the major terrorist attacks include Manipur Ambush of 2015, where at least 18 Army personnel were killed and 15 were injured; in 2015 Gurdaspur attack, three civilians and four policemen were killed and 15 people were injured; in the 2016 Pathankot attack, seven security personnel were killed; During the 2016 Uri attack, 17 soldiers were martyred; in 2017 Sukma attack at least 25 police personnel were killed; And in the 2017 Amarnath attack at least seven killed and 21 injured.

The Logical Indian Take

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her speech said, “We have not had one major terrorist attack after 2014. Let us remember that and remind our people that this country has lived a peaceful five years. There are of course disturbances in the border, but the Indian Army has made sure that every attempt to come into this country is eliminated at the border.”

Being the defence minister of the country, Ms Sitharaman cannot afford to make such unsubstantiated claims. Saying so, she ignores and disregards the supreme sacrifice made by the soldiers. The Defence Minister’s statement is, in fact, ignorant at its best and propaganda-fuelled at its worst.

Also Read: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Irresponsible Statements