'Cong failed to counter terror incidents'

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has accused the previous Congress government of failure in countering terror activities and said this amounted to the party indirectly backing Pakistan’s nefarious designs.

The minister, while addressing ‘Vijaya Sankalpa Yatra’ convention here on Tuesday, said that intelligence reports indicated probable terror activities in the aftermath of Pulwama attack. It was indeed imperative for India to react to thwart such possibilities.

The NDA government ably tackled cross-border terrorism by destroying terror camps through airstrikes, she said.

Criticising the UPA government’s “soft approach” in the aftermath of Mumbai terror attack, Nirmala said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had zero tolerance towards terrorism.

Earlier Karnataka election in-charge and former Rajasthan minister Kiran Maheshwari elaborated over the programmes of the National Democratic Alliance government.

Earlier, the Defence Minister visited Sri Krishna mutt and sought the blessings of Paryaya Palimaru mutt seer Sri Vidhyadheesha Theeertha Swami.

The seer requested the minister to send the war hero Abhinandan Varthaman to Udupi as the mutt wants to felicitate him for his bravery.

The minister appealed to the seer to pray for re-election of Narendra Modi as prime minister.