Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti takes on China on Amarnath yatra attack; death toll rises

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday, July 15, hit out at China over the country's silence on the Amarnath terror attack, even as the death toll in the incident rose to eight a day later. 

India and China are currently locked in a standoff over the Doklam area, with China apparently surprised by the strong stand India has taken over the issue. 

The Amarnath Yatra attack, meanwhile, has become the centre of the issue of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, after it emerged that the terrorists who perpetrated the attack had tailed the bus full of pilgrims for two whole days. 

Mehbooba slams China

China has already been criticised by India for its "offer" to mediate between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. 

However, Mehbooba took it a step further on Saturday when she said: "This is really surprising that China has not yet condemned the Amarnath terror attack as it should have. It's being condemned by the entire world, but Beijing remained silent."

She added: "This was an attack for which the entire nation stood together, united, everybody criticised it; so, we expected something from them too."

Mehbooba also said: "As far as the matter of cross-border infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, China has never condemned Pakistan even when other countries do it."

Death toll rises

A day after Mehbooba's outburst, and six days after the actual Amarnath yatra attack, the death toll from the incident rose to eight. 

One Lalitaben, aged 47, who had been injured in the attack succumbed to her injuries on the morning of Sunday, July 15. 

She had been undergoing treatment at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Hospital in Srinagar after being hit by bullets in the terrorist attack.

 The Central government had earlier announced a solatium of Rs 7 lakh to the kin of each of those killed in the terror attack.