Protests over the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar disrupted Parliament on Monday, the day the debate on the Operation Sindoor is scheduled to be held in the Lok Sabha.
The BJP, on its part, pounced on an interview of P. Chidambaram in which the Congress leader seemed to question if there was any proof yet that the terrorists who massacred tourists in Pahalgam were from Pakistan.
Ahead of the day's proceedings in Parliament, top Opposition MPs, including Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav, TMC's Derek O'Brien and Sagarika Ghose, DMK's Kanimozhi and A. Raja, raised slogans and protested against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
There was a huge banner in front of them which read 'SIR- Attack on Democracy' as they lined up on and near the steps of the Makar Dwar of Parliament and staged a protest for the fifth consecutive day.
With 'Stop SIR' placards in hand, several MPs of the opposition, including those of the Congress, DMK, TMC, Samajwadi Party, RJD and Left parties, participated in the protest and raised slogans.
The Opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, alleging the EC's exercise was aimed at disenfranchising millions of poor voters in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections.
They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses.
The BJP social media cell on Monday targeted Chidambaram, who had said in an interview with The Quint: “Why have you not apprehended [the terrorists]? Why have you not even identified them?”
He went on to add that there was “no evidence” yet to prove the killers came from Pakistan and stressed the need to build a strong case for the international community.
His remarks quickly became the focus of BJP leaders, who accused the Congress of defending Pakistan and questioning Indian agencies.
“Once again, the Congress rushes to give a clean chit to Pakistan,” BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya posted on X, along with a clipped video from Chidambaram’s interview.
Chidambaram responded 10 hours later: “The worst kind is a troll who suppresses the full recorded interview, takes two sentences, mutes some words, and paints the speaker in a black colour!”
The National Investigation Agency has so far arrested two Kashmiri men who allegedly helped the attackers and said the perpetrators were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba. However, the agency has not yet released their names.
BJP leaders quickly seized on Chidambaram’s comments.
BJP’s Godda MP Nishikant Dubey, who has been leading the charge against the Opposition on many issues this term, said: “What is the existence of the Congress that participated in the freedom struggle? Rahul Gandhi signs MoU with China's Communist Party. They had decided to sell the nation away, but PM Modi came in between.”
Union minister Anurag Thakur said, “Whenever it's about Pakistan and terror, even Pakistan doesn't advocate for itself as much as Rahul-occupied Congress does. What is the compulsion that Congress has to take Pakistan's side?”
Union minister Shobha Karandlaje questioned Chidambaram’s motives.
“Why this constant defence of Pakistan? Why question our own security agencies but never the world's biggest terror-exporting nation? Pakistan has a long and bloody history of infiltrating terrorists into Bharat. This is not the first time and yet Congress continues to downplay such heinous acts time and again. What message are you trying to send Mr Chidambaram? Do you trust ISI more than Bharat’s brave forces? Is political hatred more important than national interest? There seems to be something deeply flawed in Congress' DNA, always raising doubts on Bharat, always going soft on those who attack our people," Karandlaje said.
(with inputs from PTI)
