BREAKING NEWS: Congress leader Udit Raj says Pulwama-like attack possible before 2024, sparks row

Dr Udit Raj alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party won the 2019 Lok Sabha election by making ''Pulwama'' an election issue.

New Delhi: After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre over the deadly Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives last year, another party leader - Udit Raj - has now predicted that a similar attack may happen before 2024.

Raj, who is a former MP and party's backward face, on Saturdy (February 15, 2020) alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party won the 2019 Lok Sabha election by making ''Pulwama'' an election issue.

जो लोग सत्ता पाने के लिये गुजरात में नरसंहार करवा सकते हैं, वो सत्ता बनाये रखने के लिये 40 जवानों की जान का सौदा भी कर सकते हैं।

इनके लिये देशभक्ति और राष्ट्रवाद जनता को भरमाने का एक टूल भर है।

— Dr. Udit Raj (@Dr_Uditraj) February 15, 2020

Dr Udit Raj also defended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for recently posing three tough questions for the ruling party relating to the NIA probe into the February 14 Pulwama attack.

Taking to Twitter, Udit Raj said, ''Rahul Gandhi's was right in asking the question about the outcome of the NIA probe into the Pulwama attack. It becomes more imnportant as the Ministry of Home Affairs knew beforehand that CRPF should not be allowed to travel by road, but by air. But still, this event was allowed to happen for political gains.''

Holding BJP responsible for the death of 40 CRPF jawans, the Congress leader said that after the Pulwama attack, BJP workers went out on candle march across India, which was the work of the Opposition, but it was done by the ruling party.

''The opposition should have questioned like the BJP did in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case as to how did the attackers come? It seems the Congress has missed the question, the time is right,'' the Congress leader added. Udit Raj's statement has triggered a political storm as several BJP leaders have slammed him for his remarks. 

Rahul Gandhi on Friday made a stinging attack on the NDA government and sought to know from it who benefitted the most from the Pulwama attack on its first anniversary. 

Taking to Twitter, the Congress MP raised three questions and sought to know from the BJP regime what came out of the inquiry into the February 14, 2019, Pulwama attack.

The Gandhi scion finally asked who in the BJP government has been held accountable for the security lapses that allowed the attack?.

''Today as we remember our 40 CRPF martyrs in the Pulwama attack, let us ask: - 1. Who benefitted the most from the attack? 2. What is the outcome of the inquiry into the attack? 3. Who in the BJP Govt has yet been held accountable for the security lapses that allowed the attack?'' Gandhi said in a tweet.

Rahul Gandhi's tweet triggered a political storm as it came on a day when the entire nation paid homage to 40 brave Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans, who lost their lives in one of the worst terror attacks in three decades in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir on this day - February 14, 2019, for their valour and supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

A CRPF convoy of 70 vehicles was targeted by an explosives-laden SUV that was being driven by a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber, who was later identified as Adil Ahmad Dar. The vehicle rammed into one of the CRPF buses, killing 40 personnel onboard. The Pulwama terror attack was condemned by PM Narendra Modi in very strongest terms. PM Modi then said that the terrorists had committed a huge mistake and they will pay for it. 

13 days later, India avenged the Pulwama attack by bombarding the Jaish terror camps located in Pakistan's Balakot, reportedly killing between 200-300 terrorists.

Almost all the conspirators behind the dastardly attack have since been killed with the last one being Qari Yasir, the self-styled chief of Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group, who was killed last month.