Why delay Army funds for 2 years, Congress asks PM Modi

A day after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved the Rs 1,487 crore fund for access control systems for Army camps in Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress asked the Modi government the reason for delay of two years delay in granting it.

The committee under former Army vice-chief Lt General Philip Campose had submitted its report to the government in May 2016 after conducting a comprehensive audit of all defence installations to prevent terrorist attacks. Citing this, the Congress asked why the Modi government took so long to approve the funds.

"The talk of 'Quick Reaction Teams' only materialised after these attacks," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

Comparing the data of terrorist killings and ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir in the last 45 months of the UPA government with the corresponding period of the current government, Singhvi sought replies of five questions that Modi had asked before 2014 Lok Sabha elections, before becoming the Prime Minister.

Singhvi asked questions on the number of infiltration, casualty among both the forces and civilians. Citing that the borders are under the Centre's jurisdiction, he asked where the terrorists were getting their arms from.