Tharoor refuses to toe party line; declines to speak on Op Sindoor in Lok Sabha, claims Cong
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Hindustan Times
9 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Amit Shah lashes out at Congress for being soft on terror, exonerating Pakistan
Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday attacked the Opposition for questioning the government for agreeing to a ceasefire with Pakistan in May and lashed out at the Congress for being soft on terror and exonerating Islamabad over it. He said that the Congress's tradition of having debates after every terror attack was over. Union home minister Amit Shah. (ANI) 'They [Opposition] asked why we agreed to a ceasefire when we were in such a good position? I want to ask then, in 1948, our soldiers had an upper hand in Kashmir, but [Prime Minister Jawaharlal] Nehru stopped the war. PoK [Pakistan-occupied Kashmir] was lost because of Nehru,' he said during the Parliament debate on Operation Sindoor launched against Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack in April. Shah said Vallabhbhai Patel, Nehru's deputy, tried to go to the radio station to announce the 1947-48 war would continue, but its doors were shut. 'In the Indus Waters Treaty [suspended post-Pahalgam attack], 80% of Indian waters were given to Pakistan. In 1965, we controlled Haji Pir Pass [in Jammu and Kashmir]. But in 1966, Haji Pir was returned to Pakistan.' Shah said India captured 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war in 1971 and occupied 15,000 square km of Pakistan. 'But as part of the Shimla agreement, PoK was forgotten and the territory was returned.' Shah said if Congress was exonerating Pakistan, then it had no right to ask questions. He added that Nehru gave away Aksai Chin, saying no grass grows there. Shah said Nehru was asked should he also be sent to China, as he did not have any hair on his head. 'Nehru opposed China's exclusion from the UN Security Council, saying it would spoil the India-China relationship. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had a Memorandum of Understanding with China during...[the 2017 China–India border standoff] at Doklam. Rahul Gandhi met the Chinese ambassador.' Shah took exception to former home minister P Chidambaram's alleged comment during an interview, questioning the assumption that the Pahalgam terrorists came from Pakistan. 'I thought both sides [government and Opposition] would be happy that the terrorists have died? Do not be sad, going by the religion of the terrorists,' said Shah, who announced that three Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack were killed on Monday in Dachigam near Srinagar after a two-month operation. Shah recalled meeting the Pahalgam victims. 'I can never forget the face of a woman who had married six days ago [and lost her husband]. It is our responsibility [to punish terrorists]. But I want to ask, what happened during your time? I am sorry that Chidambaram sought proof that the terrorists came from Pakistan. And when did he raise it? When Parliament was set to debate. Whom did he want to save? What will you gain by saving Pakistan?' Shah asked. When Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi protested, saying they had not exonerated Pakistan, Shah said, 'But if you are sitting with them, then you have to share the burden.' Shah blamed Congress for Pakistan's creation. 'Congress opposed [Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002] and scrapped it. It is trying to save terrorists to save the vote bank. During our time, terror attacks have been limited to Jammu and Kashmir.' Shah referred to Congress leader Salman Khurshid's statement claiming Sonia Gandhi cried after the 2008 shoot out in Delhi's Batla House, which left police officer Mohan Chand Sharma dead. 'If you had to cry, you should have cried for the martyr [Sharma].'
Hindustan Times
9 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Congress chief's 'Vishwaguru's daawat' dig after Amit Shah attacks Gaurav Gogoi over Pakistan visit
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking during the monsoon session of Parliament, on Tuesday launched a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Pakistan and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of hypocrisy in dealing with Pakistan and running a 'factory of lies'. Congress President and Rajya Sabha LoP, Mallikarjun Kharge, during the Monsoon Session, on Parliament premises in New Delhi.(ANI) Addressing the Upper House during a debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, Kharge said, 'We have always condemned Pakistan. But while we condemn them here, you attend their 'daawats' and hug them. You have a habit of going places uninvited. None of the members present in this House went there. But over there, a friend, a Guru, or perhaps a Vishwaguru showed up…' Also Follow | Parliament Monsoon Session live updates Without naming anyone directly, the Congress leader's remarks appeared to target PM Narendra Modi over his meeting with his then Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, during a surprise visit to Lahore in 2015. Kharge's swipe comes shortly after Union home minister Amit Shah lashed out at Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, claiming he visited Pakistan "many times", and urged the leader to visit the border as well to witness the plight of Indian soldiers. Also Read | 'Bharatiye the': Priyanka Gandhi shuts down Pahalgam victims 'Hindu' chorus Reacting to Amit Shah's attack, Gaurav Gogoi said he visited the neighbouring country before Modi went there "to eat biryani". Participating in the debate on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha, Amit Shah heaped praise on India's move, and also hailed the killing of three terrorists who were involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Also Read | Voter IDs, chocolate wrappers were from Pakistan: Amit Shah on proof of Pahalgam terrorists' origin Kharge also underlined the Congress party's legacy in nation-building and contrasted it with what he described as the ruling party's focus on misinformation. 'We have a long and proud history, my party does. The contribution we have made in building this nation is unmatched. All you have done is set up a factory of lies,' he said.
Mint
11 minutes ago
- Mint
‘We condemn them and you attend their feast': Mallikarjun Kharge's jibe at Centre on Pahalgam attack
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Tuesday said Home Minister Amit Shah must take responsibility for the "security lapse" which led to the Pahalgam terror attack, and demanded that accountability be fixed. Kharge, the Congress president, was citing Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha's statement while speaking during the special discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in the Upper House. The Congress leader attacked the government and mocked PM Narendra Modi's unscheduled visit to Pakistan in 2015. "Along with the entire country and this House, I condemn the barbaric attack (in Pahalgam) and the continuous support to terrorists by Pakistan. We had condemned Pakistan earlier too, we will condemn them today as well and if this continues tomorrow, we will continue to condemn them. But here, we condemn them and you attend their feast and hug them." Kharge was perhaps referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2015 visit to Lahore for a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in a surprise visit to this country -the first visit to Pakistan by an Indian premier in more than 10 years. Earlier, Union Home Minister Shah announced in Lok Sabha that all three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who were involved in the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 were neutralised duringOperation Mahadevon the outskirts of Srinagar on Monday. Kharge said the prime minister should have been present at all-party meet instead of campaigning in Bihar, and questioned Modi's sincerity towards national security. Demanding accountability, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said the government should admit its 'lapses' and 'failure' in stopping terror attacks. He asked if Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor's statement on security lapses was aimed at "saving" the home minister. "Jammu Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha himself admitted that Pahalgam was a security lapse and what happened in Pahalgam was unfortunate, innocent people were brutally killed. (Sinha said) I take all responsibility for the incident. However the home minister must take responsibility for security lapse not the LG," Kharge said. The home minister must take responsibility for security lapse not the LG. Twenty-six civilians were killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, after which India retaliated through precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the Lok Sabha during the special discussion on 'Operation Sindoor', India's military response to the Pahalgam terror attack, on Monday. Singh addressed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. PM Modi is expected to speak in the Lok Sabha later in the day.
