'Terrorists involved in Pahalgam attack were eliminated in Operation Mahadev: Amit Shah
Referring to the multi-agency operation carried out by Indian security forces, Shah said, 'Modi ji, through Operation Sindoor, ensured that the masterminds of the Pahalgam attack were eliminated. And yesterday, in Operation Mahadev, the terrorists directly involved in the attack were also eliminated.'
Aggressively rebutting the charges made by the Opposition leader, Shah laid out the details of the Operation Mahadev which was jointly conducted by the Indian Army, CRPF, and Jammu & Kashmir Police.
The operation led to the elimination of Suleman alias Faisal Jatt, Hamza Afghani, and Jibran—all affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and who were directly responsible for the attack in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians, including one Nepali citizen.
'Suleman was an A-category commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), involved in multiple terror attacks including those in Pahalgam, Hamle, and Gagan Top. Our intelligence agencies have solid evidence of his involvement,' Shah stated. He added that Hamza Afghani and Jibran were also high-ranking and wanted LeT operatives.
Launching a scathing attack on senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P Chidambaram for questioning the origin of the slain terrorists, Shah said, 'Yesterday, Chidambaram ji asked what proof we have that these terrorists came from Pakistan. What is he trying to prove? Whom is he trying to protect?'
He accused the Congress party of undermining India's security efforts and attempting to cast doubts about successful counter-terror operations. 'It is extremely unfortunate that a former Home Minister is questioning such evidence. By doing so, the Congress leader is effectively giving a clean chit to Pakistan,' Shah added.
Responding to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's claim that no one from the government visited Pahalgam following the attack, Shah said 'After the April 22 terror attack, I left for Srinagar the same day to oversee the security situation and ensure that the terrorists could not escape. Modi ji held Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meetings on April 23 and April 30."
He further hit out at the Congress party for its historical handling of India's strategic interests, calling the Indus Waters Treaty a 'major blunder,' and highlighting that Prime Minister Modi had since taken decisive steps by suspending the treaty.
The Home Minister strongly defended India's Foreign Minister statement in the Lok Sabha yesterday and expressed serious concern over the lack of trust in country's constitutional authority and questioned the Opposition's stance on foreign affairs.
'I have an objection to one particular point — that a person who has taken the oath as the Foreign Minister of India is making a statement here, and yet there is no trust in him. Instead, there seems to be trust in someone from another country," Shah said.
He further added, 'I can understand the importance of a foreigner in their party, but that doesn't mean they can bring their party's agenda and impose it on this House. If you can't trust India's Foreign Minister — someone who has taken the oath and is speaking here — then that is truly unfortunate. He is accountable to this House and to the nation. That is why, Speaker Sir, the Congress is sitting in the Opposition and will remain there for the next 20 years.'
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