The Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi reminded the Parliament the security lapse in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives in a terror attack this April could not be hidden behind any number of military operations.
As Priyanka read out her first name, the treasury benches shouted, "Hindu". She responded by saying "Bharatiya".
“Twenty-five Indian families were destroyed that day. There was no security for them. No number of operations can hide this fact. We are all accountable to their families. They have a right to know the truth,” Priyanka said during the discussion on Operation Sindoor on the floor of the Lok Sabha. “This government only tries to hide from answering questions.”
While the union Home minister Amit Shah was addressing the Lok Sabha where he provided details on the killing of the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack, in his customary style Shah had blamed India’s first Prime minister starting with 1948 to the Indo-China war of 1962.
He had also listed out the terror attacks that happened all over India during the UPA days from 2004 to 2014.
“He listed 25 attacks that happened during the UPA rule. The terror organisation TRF which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack carried out 25 attacks in Kashmir from April 2020 till Pahalgam. During the Mumbai terror attacks, all the terrorists except one were killed right after the attack. Then union Home minister, the chief minister, had resigned,” Priyanka said. “Every time an incident happens he starts listing the names of my family members. You have been in power for 11 years. It is time to take responsibility for what is happening under your watch.”
Referring to the terror attacks in Pathankot, Uri and Pulwama, which happened after Modi became Prime Minister, Priyanka said, “The present defence minister was the Home minister then. Under the present Home minister Manipur has been burned down. He (Shah) hasn’t resigned.”
The first-time MP from Wayanad said the government under Narendra Modi refuses to accept responsibility.
“Bombings make headlines but the story lies in the lapses. No one has answered what happened on April 22 and why. Why was there not a single soldier at the Baisaran valley? Why was there no medical facility?” she asked. “He (Shah) went into the history pages. Nehru, Indira Gandhi, my mother’s tears, but did not answer the question.”
Priyanka reminded Prime Minister Modi leadership was not about taking credits.
“Leadership is not about taking credit but also accepting responsibility. This is a crown of thorns not gold. Modi wants the credit for Operation Sindoor. He takes the credit for Indian sportspersons winning Olympic medals. Taking credits alone does not make a leader. Accountability has to be there. Such is the political cowardice of this government that no one wants to be held accountable,” she said.
Priyanka said the objective of Operation Sindoor is yet to be achieved.
“If it (Operation Sindoor) was to teach Pakistan a lesson then it is still incomplete. Their General had lunch with the US President. Pakistan’s chairing the UN Security Council’s anti-terror group has hurt that objective,” she said.
