Poonch attack is BJP's 'pre-election stunt': Former Punjab CM Channi

In a shocking comment, Congress leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Sunday that Saturday's terror attack in J&K’s Poonch district was a "pre-election stunt" by the BJP.

Corporal Vikky Pahade of the Indian Air Force was killed and four other soldiers injured in the terrorist attack on two IAF vehicles in the Bakrabal (Sanai) area of Surankote tehsil of Poonch.

"These are all stunts and not terrorist attacks. There is no truth in it. BJP is playing with the lives of people and bodies," Channi said while campaigning in Jalandhar from where he is in the fray for the parliamentary poll.

"These attacks are not really happening but just meant to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party... Whenever elections take place, such stunts are played like it happened last time," he added while pointing towards the 2019 Pulwama attack in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were martyred.

The Poonch attack on Saturday came weeks ahead of polling in the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency that will take place on May 25.