NEW DELHI: The massacre of Amarnath pilgrims shocked the nation and the Congress party .The party The ghastly incident which claimed more than hundred lives raised several questions. The CONGRESS president ,Mrs.Sonia Gandhi ,who visited Srinagar Along with the Prime minister ,Mr. Vajpayee ,had a first hand impression of what happened.But she regretted that the Prime Ministers visit was an eye wash. She demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and the Congress Party raised the issue repeatedly in the loksabha and Rajya Sabha.

In the Lok Sabha a motion was moved for discussion by party member Mr.Priya Ranjan Das Munshi. Moving motion ,Mr Dasmunshi denied that the Congress demand was aimed at embarrassing the government. The party only wanted to know what steps the government planned to take for the safety and security of the pilgrims. "We can sit across the table and help remove shortcomings," he said.

Earlier ,on August8,the LokSabha was adjourned twice when the Congress demand for a judicial probe led to uproarious scene and Rajya Sahba debated the issue almost the entire day ,with the Congress staging lkout when the government rejected its demand for a judicial probe led to the uproarious scene and Rajya Sabha Mr. Manmohan Singh ,said newspaper reports indicated that the CRPF men had fired at the pilgrims. They might have done it inadvertently, but the best way to stop all such nonsense Was to have a judicial enquiry. Leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Mr.Manmohan Singh ,said newspaper reports said that the CRPF men had fired at the pilgrims. They Might have done it inadvertently ,but the best way to stop all such nonsense was to have a judicial enquiry.

Mr.Kapil Sibal said that there was need for an enquiry which should have public confidence .The Congress Deputy Leader ,Mr MadhavRao Scindia ,wanted to know "why is the government running away from judicial inquiry into the killings?"

The statement of Mr.George Fernandes ,Defence Minister ,admitting serious security lapses in Kashmir has also spurred the Congress. In another move the senior Congress Leader ,MR.Bhulam NABI azad said that the party would insist on the resignation of home minister in charge of Kashmir Affairs,he should own moral responsibility for the carnage.

Mrs.Margeret Alva,Congress Parliamentry Party spokesman ,disputed the Primeminister's contention that yatra camp site killings were the handywork of two terrorists. The senior congress leader,Arjun Singh took the BJP to task for taking Pandit Nehru's name in a cavalier manner while speaking on Kasmir.On the question of finding a peaceful solution to the Kashmir problem ,Mrs. Sonia Gandhi said on August 11 in hyderabad that her party would support the government on whatever initiative it takes to bring peaceto the troubled Kashmir Valley.

In the statement issued on August 2,she said ,"We are shocked to learn of the senseless killing Of 24 persons including 11Amarnath Yatris,3 foreign tourists and local residents.The killers are reportedly foreign mercenaries..Words are not adequate toi condemn this dastardly attack and senselessviolence.Kashmir has been a victim of senseless violence for more than a decade now and the hapless people of the state are passing through untold miseries and sufferings caused by cross border terrorism aided and abetted by Pakistan.

Just when the Hizbul , a militant outfit ,declared unilateral cease fire and a conducive atmosphere for holding talks between the government and the representatives of the government and the representatives of the militants was created ,a section extremists mainly the foreign mercenaries are trying to sabotage the peace talks. The people of Kashmir are tired of the senseless violence and crave for the restoration of peace and normalcy.

The government of India should not fall into the trap agent provocateurs who are determined to destroy the peace talks and carry on the proposed dialogue with the parties Concerned with a view to resolve the problem of cross border terrorism. We express our deepest condolences to the members of the beraved families." .