New Delhi: The Congress on Monday said Home Minister Amit Shah must take responsibility for the “security lapses” that allowed the Pahalgam terror attack, while asking the Centre to clarify how many Indian jets were downed during Operation Sindoor and “before whom did Prime Minister Narendra Modi surrender” to halt the military action against Pakistan.
Participating in a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on “India’s strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam”, Congress’s deputy leader in the House Gaurav Gogoi said according to the government, its intention was not to occupy territory. He asked the government why was it not so as “if not today, then when will we take Pakistan-occupied Kashmir back”?
Gogoi also slammed the government over US President Donald Trump’s claim, made “26 times”, that he used trade to bring about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
The Congress leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been saying since the Uri and Pulwama attacks that “humne ghar mein ghus ke mara”, “we destroyed terror infrastructure” and is making the same remarks even now.
“They are still saying that Operation Sindoor is incomplete and Pakistan can do this again. Then how is this a success? They themselves are saying that our intention was not of war. Why was it not so? They say it was not to take territory. Why was it not so? When will we take Pakistan-occupied Kashmir back? If not today, then when?… The most horrendous terror attacks have happened under your government,” Gogoi said.
He said the opposition wants to know from Modi that if Pakistan was ready to kneel before India, “why did you stop and before whom did you surrender”?
“Trump has made the claim 26 times that he used the threat of trade to bring a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. He says five to six jets have been downed. One jet is of crores and crores (of rupees). That is why we want to know from the defence minister, the country has the courage to listen to the truth, he must answer as to how many fighter jets were downed,” the Congress leader said.
“This information, this truth, is not just for Indian citizens, it is important for soldiers, they are also being lied to,” he added.
Gogoi said there are just “35 Rafale fighter jets in the country” and if some have been downed, “it is a big loss”.
He made the remarks while referring to a statement of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, who said in an interview that India rectified its tactics and hit deep inside Pakistani territory after suffering losses during Operation Sindoor.
The Congress leader also cited the remarks of Indian Defence Attache in Indonesia, Group Captain Shiv Kumar, and Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh to corner the government.
He pointed out that according to Group Captain Kumar, there were constraints that hampered the military operations and Lt Gen. Singh had said that India contended with and battled against China during Operation Sindoor.
Gogoi asked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh why did he not name China during his address in the Lok Sabha and said he must disclose how much support that country was providing to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor that was launched in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack to target terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK.
Referring to Singh’s speech earlier, Gogoi said he gave a lot of information, but did not say as the defence minister how the terrorists came to Pahalgam.
“The country wants to know … 100 days have passed, but this government has not brought the terrorists to justice,” he said.
The home minister kept saying that the backbone of terrorism has been broken, but the Uri, Balakot and Pahalgam incidents still happened, he said.
“Who will take responsibility, the (Jammu and Kashmir) LG? It is the home minister who must take responsibility. You cannot hide behind the LG. This government is such a coward and is so weak that it blamed even tour operators for the Pahalgam attack,” the Congress leader said.
He claimed that the security framework and those who take decisions have become arrogant and they behave as if no one can question them. “But we will question them” on the lapses, Gogoi said.
The Congress leader said he had thought the home minister and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will take moral responsibility for the Pahalgam attack and the prime minister will clarify why the military action was halted, but that was not to be.
“When the prime minister returned from Saudi Arabia, he should have gone to Pahalgam, but he went to a political programme in Bihar,” Gogoi said, evoking strong opposition from the treasury benches and prompting Speaker Om Birla to ask him to stick to facts.
“If anybody went to Pahalgam, it was our leader Rahul Gandhi. If someone is asking for a martyr’s status for those who were killed, it is our leader, Rahul Gandhi,” Gogoi said.
He said the recent military conflict that took place between India and Pakistan was a war of information.
“While we wanted to give the right information, there were some forces who wanted to mislead the country and the world. Therefore, the real objective of the debate is to bring out the truth — the truth of Pahalgam, the truth of Operation Sindor, the truth of foreign policy,” Gogoi said.
He said the opposition will keep asking questions in national interest.
The Congress leader said in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, “we saw how Himanshi Narwal, the wife of Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal who was killed in the attack, said Hindu-Muslim politics should not be played on his dead body”.
Gogoi asserted that the entire country stands with the government in the fight against terrorism and in favour of the truth.
“Do not consider us your enemy. We are speaking in favour of our country and our armed forces, but you need to tell us the truth,” he said.
