The Congress on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presented a “besharmi ki misaal” (model of shamelessness) by "getting his party" to shower flowers on him at a time senior security forces officials were killed by militants in Kashmir.

Condemning the celebrations at the BJP headquarters on Wednesday — to felicitate the Prime Minister for India's hosting of the G20 summit — when the news of a major, a colonel and a deputy superintendent of police being slain by militants in Anantnag had broken, chairman of the Congress ex-servicemen department, Col. Rohit Chaudhary, said: “We are ashamed. What insensitivity! Pradhan Mantri nein besharmi ki misaal pesh ki hai.”

Videos of mourning family members of the officers and celebrations at the BJP headquarters were played at the media conference at the Congress office, along with videos of Modi shooting a documentary on the day of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.

Chaudhary said: “This has not happened the first time. When 40 CRPF jawans were killed, Modi was shooting a film. Yesterday when a commanding officer with another army officer and one DSP of Jammu and Kashmir police made the supreme sacrifice, Pradhan Mantri apna mahima mandan kara rahe the (the Prime Minister was getting himself felicitated).”

He added: “I have talked to a large number of serving and retired officers and soldiers. They are anguished. They are hurt. Every patriot is hurt. Didn’t the Prime Minister and senior BJP leaders anticipate what the soldiers and the families of the martyrs would think? They have no sense of shame?”

Another retired officer at the news conference, Col. Pramod Sharma, said: “With their commanding officer gone, we can realise how the soldiers must be feeling. Think about their mindset at the moment and how they will feel after seeing the celebrations in Delhi.”

Recalling what former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik had said, Chaudhary pointed out: “Pulwama happened in an election year. This is also an election year. This is going to be the most difficult time for our soldiers.... The Indian Army must stay alert.”

Questioned about his fears as his reference to election year could trigger various conclusions, Chaudhary said: “Satya Pal Malik had said after Pulwama that the tragedy happened because of our lapses. He was asked (by the Prime Minister) to keep quiet. Modi later asked for votes in the name of the Pulwama martyrs. He exploited the tragedy in the elections. Why has the inquiry report not been placed before the nation so far? Who was responsible for the denial of an aircraft for the movement of the soldiers?”

He added: “What had Modi done that his felicitation was necessary? Why the need to be feted by your own people? Did you not take note of what happened in Kashmir?”

None of the BJP leaders or top ministers spoke a word on Wednesday’s encounter. The Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra have expressed condolences.

Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief at a road accident in Rajasthan but appeared oblivious to the Kashmir encounter. Home minister Amit Shah, too, didn’t post any message till Thursday night.

RJD leader Manoj Jha said: “The celebration with red roses at a time when images of mourning were coming from Kashmir was saddening. The BJP could have put off their celebrations by a day or two. The two images together — of screams and flowers — didn’t look good. It was unbearable that the BJP was celebrating when a 29-day-old child lost his father (DSP Humayun Bhat).”

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said: “Aren’t you sad two army and one police officer were killed? When terrorists’ bullets killed them, flowers were being showered on the Prime Minister. Have you become that insensitive?”