New Delhi: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lashed out at the Centre in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday for its failure to provide security to those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
This was in response to Union home minister Amit Shah’s tirade against the Nehru-Gandhi family during the marathon debate on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha.
“The Union home minister today spoke about what Nehru and Indira Gandhi did. He even went on to talk about my mother’s tears. But he never answered why the ceasefire was announced. Sahab, you talk about history, I will talk about the present,” Priyanka.
“The Union home minister also spoke about my mother’s tears today. I want to answer this. My mother’s tears fell when terrorists killed my father. Yes, my mother cried when her husband was martyred. He was only 44 years old. Today, when I talk about those 26 people (victims of the Pahalgam attack), it is because I understand their pain,” she added.
Accusing the Centre of evading accountability for the Pahalgam attack by “listing out the entire Gandhi family”, she proceeded to read out the names of the 25 Indian nationals shot dead at the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam. After every name she read out, members of the Treasury Benches shouted ‘Hindu’, to indicate that it was a targetted killing. Opposition members shouted ‘Indian’ in response.
The Congress leader also questioned the absence of preventive measures despite Baisaran Valley being a known tourist destination. “Did the government not know that thousands of tourists visit the area? Why was there no security? Why were they left to God’s mercy?” she asked.
She also raised concerns about intelligence failures. “Was no government agency aware of the terror plot being planned in Pakistan? It’s a serious failure of our intelligence and the government. Who will take responsibility for this? Has anyone resigned?”
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the ruling party for invoking history while not taking accountability for the present. “They keep talking about the past, but who will answer for what’s happening now?” she said.
Priyanka also wanted to know why the military operation against Pakistan was abruptly stopped. “Why did this war stop? And why did it stop when the enemy had no other option but to come to our refuge?” she asked.
“For the first time in our country’s history, a war was stopped suddenly and the decision was announced by the US President. That reflects the Prime Minister’s irresponsibility,” she said, adding that “Leadership is not just about taking credit, but also about taking responsibility.”
Earlier in the day, Shah accused Sonia Gandhi of shedding tears for the terrorists who were killed in the 2008 Batla House encounter in Delhi. Shah said he was surprised to see then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi crying after the encounter.
“One day, I was having an early breakfast when I saw Salman Khurshid weeping on TV while leaving Sonia Gandhi’s house. I thought something big had happened. He said that Sonia Gandhi was in tears over the Batla House incident. If you had to cry, you should have done that for Shaheed Mohan Sharma and not the Batla House terrorists,” Shah said.
“The Congress has no right to question the government over what steps it has taken to tackle terror,” he added.
On September 19, 2008, two terrorists of the Indian Mujahideen, hiding in a flat at Batla House in Jamia Nagar, were eliminated by an armed police unit. Mohan Chand Sharma, an inspector with the Delhi Police, was killed in action during the encounter.
“Today, China is in the United Nations Security Council, and India is not,” Shah said, referring to the permanent membership of the UNSC.
“Jawaharlal Nehru’s stand is responsible for this. When our jawans were facing Chinese soldiers in Doklam, Rahul Gandhi was holding a meeting with the Chinese ambassador. This love for China has passed down three generations—from Jawaharlal Nehru to Sonia Gandhi to Rahul Gandhi,” Shah added.
“PM Narendra Modi is trying his best to get India to become a part of the UN Security Council,” the home minister said.
Referring to the 1962 war with China, Shah claimed that then PM Nehru had bid goodbye to Assam in a speech on All India Radio. He also went on to say that Nehru declared a unilateral ceasefire in 1948 when Indian armed forces were in a decisive position to take back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.