Union Ministers "engrossed" in campaigning for K'taka assembly polls: Sanjay Raut

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 21 : Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said that union ministers are "engrossed" in the campaigning for upcoming Karnataka Assembly Polls, while crucial issues like Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch terror attack are being ignored.

While talking to , Raut said, "They want to suppress the opposition and engage in politics when our soldiers are dying. Jammu and Kashmir's new Pulwama issue has come up. Karnataka elections will come and go."

He added, "All union ministers at the centre are engrossed in campaigning for the Karnataka assembly elections. The Prime Minister Home Minister and Defence Minister, all of the leaders at the centre level are involved in playing politics and campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly election."

"I met Sharad Pawar, our MVA meetings keep happening, he is a senior leader. Nothing surprising. Don't know what is happening with NCP and it's their internal matter. People keep meeting, and nothing new in it," he further added.

Out of the five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles Unit who were killed in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, four belonged to Punjab, said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday.

In a tweet, Mann had said, "As many as five jawans of Rashtriya Rifles, four jawans were from Punjab martyred in a terrorist attack."

Meanwhile, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and all ranks of the Indian Army saluted the supreme sacrifice of five soldiers who were killed in a terror attack that took place on Thursday.

"General Manoj Pande COAS and All Ranks of the Indian Army salute the supreme sacrifice of 05 Indian Army Bravehearts, Hav Mandeep Singh, L/Nk Debashish Baswal, L/Nk Kulwant Singh, Sep Harkrishan Singh and Sep Sewak Singh who laid down their lives in the line of duty at Poonch Sector," Indian Army ADG PI had tweeted. Earlier, White Knight Corps said that it "salutes the sacrifice" of five soldiers who were killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.'

The corps also said that it stands in solidarity with the bereaved families.

"White Knight Corps salutes the sacrifice of Hav Mandeep Singh, L/Nk Debashish Baswal, L/Nk Kulwant Singh, Sep Harkrishan Singh, Sep Sewak Singh, who laid down their lives in the line of duty in the Poonch Sector today. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families," it had said on Twitter.

"An Army vehicle moving between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector in J-K was fired upon by unidentified terrorists today. The vehicle caught fire, due to the likely use of grenades by terrorists," the army had said in its statement.

"Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles Unit deployed for Counter Terrorist operations, in this area, have unfortunately lost their lives in the incident," it had added.

Another soldier, who sustained serious injuries, was evacuated immediately and rushed to the Army Hospital at Rajouri, and is currently under treatment.

A search operation has been launched to nab the attackers, and the army had informed further.