New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Congress leader Pawan Khera, on Friday, launched a sharp attack on the Centre over its alleged silence on killings in West Asia, rising petrol prices, and the film ‘Dhurandhar 2’, claiming that the movie was made to promote National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Speaking to IANS, Khera criticised the Union government for what he described as silence over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the deaths of school girls in Israeli attacks.

“There can be no silence when a head of state is murdered by Israel and the US. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by Israel and the US, and the Indian government chose silence. Congress did not choose silence. Indians did not choose silence,” he said.

Khera added that no country or society with principles could remain silent in the face of such incidents.

“When 168 young school-going girls are murdered by Israel and the US, who can be silent? No country, no society, no individual who has even an iota of principles left can remain silent when something as brutal and cruel as this happens,” he said.

Targeting the Union government over rising petrol prices, the Congress leader alleged that the ruling BJP-led Union government deliberately kept fuel prices low until the Assembly elections were over.

“We (Congress) have been warning the Central government and after the Assembly elections are over, the fuel prices will shoot up,” Khera claimed.

He also said that the Union government had collected massive revenue through taxes on petrol and diesel over the past decade and should pass the benefits on to consumers.

“You (Centre) have collected Rs 26-27 lakh crore over the last 12 years through taxes on petrol and diesel. This is the right time to pass those benefits on to the consumer. The consumer should not pay the price for the war going on in West Asia,” Khera added.

Commenting on the film ‘Dhurandhar 2’, the Congress leader said he had not watched the movie and did not intend to do so, but alleged that it was essentially a biopic meant to promote National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

“I haven’t seen the movie, nor do I intend to see it. The issue is not what they have shown in the movie. The issue is that the movie is made to promote a 81-year-old NSA called Ajit Doval. It is a biopic on him,” Khera added.

He also questioned the Union government’s security preparedness, referring to alleged incidents involving foreign nationals and past terror attacks.

“While Ajit Doval was busy having popcorn watching this film, Russia had to come and inform us about six people from Ukraine who had entered India. From India they went through the Mizoram border to Myanmar, trained rebels there and came back to India and we did not know,” he alleged.

Khera added that such incidents raised serious questions about the country’s security management, recalling past attacks, including those in Pahalgam, Pulwama and Jama Masjid.

–IANS

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