Pakistan minister accepts country's role in Pulwama attack but opposition leaders had taken sought to link incident to Lok Sabha polls

New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): With a Pakistan minister officially accepting his country's role in Pulwama terror attack, the BJP leaders on Thursday hit back at opposition leaders over their past remarks concerning the incident in which they had sought to target the government.
The dastardly terror attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, 2019 claimed the lives of 40 personnel. Terrorists rammed an explosive-laden vehicle in the bus. The convoy had of 78 buses in which around 2,500 personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar.
Pakistan-based terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack. Pakistan had repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack.
Days later India carried out airstrikes on JeM's Balakot terror training camp in Pakistan.
On Thursday, Pakistan Federal minister Fawad Chaudhry told National Assembly that "Pulwama was achievement under leadership of Imran Khan" and that "Hindustan ko ghus ke maara hai" in admission about Pakistan's role in terror attack.
"We hit India by entering inside. Our achievement in Pulwama is the achievement of the entire community under the leadership of Imran Khan. You all also have credit (for it), Chaudhry told the National Assembly.
The opposition leaders in their remarks in the past had sought to link the terror attack and the government's subsequent response to the Lok Sabha elections.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejwial had said in April last year that people were asking if Pakistan had killed 40 security force personnel just before elections to help Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Pakistan and Imran Khan are openly supporting Modiji. It is clear now that Modi ji has some secret pact wid them. Everyone is asking - did Pakistan kill 40 of our brave soldiers in Pulwama on 14 February just before elections to help Modi ji?" he said.
A year later Rahul Gandhi attacked the government and asked "who benefitted the most from the attack".
"Today as we remember our 40 CRPF martyrs in the #PulwamaAttack , let us ask: Who benefitted the most from the attack? What is the outcome of the inquiry into the attack? Who in the BJP Govt has yet been held accountable for the security lapses that allowed the attack?" he asked in a tweet on February 14, 2020.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had accused the BJP leaders of giving political speeches on Pulwama attack and asked if the government wanted to go to war ahead of Lok Sabha elections.
She had asked why a large convoy of CRPF personnel was allowed to move on the highway.
"I have a doubt. How they (Pakistan) have got this encouragement when the elections are round the corner? I don't know," she said.
She had accused the government of creating "war-like hysteria" and alleged that government did nothing after the Pathankot terror assault.
She also accused the BJP, RSS and VHP of "trying to exploit the tragedy for political dividends."
Banerjee had sought a high-level inquiry into the Pulwama incident.
National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, who contested Lok Sabha elections from Srinagar even blamed Prime Minister following the incident and said he wanted to win the Lok Sabha elections.
Samajawadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav had also made allegations against the government.
"We are unhappy with the government, security personnel were killed for votes, there was no checking on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, security personnel were sent in simple buses. This is conspiracy," he had alleged.
The SP leader had also said that there will be probe into the incident.
India had also withdrawn the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan following the terror attack. It had said that the External Affairs Ministry will initiate all possible diplomatic steps which have to be taken to ensure isolation of Pakistan for having a direct hand in the incident.
The international community had expressed its strong support to India in the wake of the terror attack. (ANI)