New Delhi, July 29, 2025: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Shri Rahul Gandhi said - I start with the attack in Pahalgam- a brutal attack, heartless attack, organized and orchestrated clearly by the Pakistani state. Merciless… young people, old people murdered in cold blood mercilessly and we have together… every single person in this house… condemned Pakistan. The moment ‘Operation Sindoor’ began, in fact even before it began, the Opposition committed itself…. all the parties… that we will stand like a rock with the forces and with the government of India… with the elected government of India. But the government lacked political will to fight and tied the hands of defence forces during ‘Operation Sindoor’.

Rajnath Singh ji in his speech yesterday compared 1971 (war) and Sindoor and I want to remind him – in 1971 there was political will, the Seventh Fleet was coming in the Indian Ocean, was coming towards India and the Prime Minister of that time said – whatever we have to do in Bangladesh , we will do it… you can come… as much as you want to come , come… we will do it – political will! Speaking during the debate on ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the Lok Sabha, Shri Gandhi said, “If Modi has 50 percent of the courage of Smt. Indira Gandhi, he should say that Trump is a liar and no planes fell during ‘Operation Sindoor’. He pointed out that Trump had claimed 29 times that he mediated the ceasefire and that Prime Minister Modi did not have the guts or courage to correct him and tell him he was lying.

Shri Gandhi, while speaking with his characteristic simplicity and clarity, noted that this government lacked the political will to fight the battle and surrendered immediately after starting the war. He said, if the country wants to defeat Pakistan once and for all, it must give operational freedom to our defense forces, which they were not given during ‘Operation Sindoor’.

Referring to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh’s speech in Parliament yesterday, he said it only showed that the government lacked the political will. Otherwise, he asked, why would the government of India tell the government of Pakistan within just half an hour of launching ‘Operation Sindoor’ that it had not hit its military installations and did not want any escalation? The Defence Minister is saying here in the House that we went and told Pakistan that we do not want escalation, you should not respond and we will not hit military targets. Meaning, the government of India informed the government of Pakistan that we have no political will, we don’t want to fight, we have done this, we have just done this action… This was like a meek surrender, he remarked.

Accusing the government of India of tying the hands of the defense forces behind their backs, he asked, why were the defense forces and the Indian Air Force asked not to attack Pakistan’s military infrastructure and air defense system? Meaning, you went into Pakistan, you attacked Pakistan and you told our pilots- do not attack their air defense system… meaning you told our pilots- go and attack and face the air defense system of Pakistan, meaning you tied their hands behind their back. And the Defense Minister has said this in Parliament House itself that we told the Pakistanis that we are not going to attack their infrastructure. He said publicly in the House that we will not attack your military infrastructure, your air defense system and on the other side you are sending our pilots. What will happen - the airplanes will fall. He said that our defense forces were not given any operational freedom because the government lacked the political will.

I want to tell CDS Anil Chauhan Ji that you made no tactical mistake, the Indian Air Force made no mistake, the mistake was made by the political leadership that said- you cannot attack the military infrastructure and Anil Chauhan Ji must have the guts to say this that I... my hands were tied behind my back and I was sent into a war and my enemy was told by my own government that we will not attack your air defense system.

The senior Congress leader pointed out that despite the Pakistani state organising and orchestrating the brutal, heartless, and merciless attack, no country in the world condemned it. He said while all the countries condemned terrorism, they did not condemn Pakistan. What does it mean… that the world is equating us with Pakistan. He observed that this was the diplomatic failure of the country.

This government is clueless even about what deterrence means. This government is clueless about what political will means, this government is clueless about what it means to let the Army, Air Force, Navy fight… that’s the reality of the situation.

Shri Rahul also referred to the military integration between Pakistan and China, saying that India’s defense forces did not fight Pakistan alone, but the joint might of the Pakistani and Chinese armies and air forces. He reminded the House that he had cautioned about the Pakistan-China military fusion a few months ago, but he was not taken seriously. “If you had listened to me then, you may not have faced such a situation today,” he remarked.”If you had listened to me here, you would not have lost those five planes.”

Shri Gandhi noted that the goal of ‘Operation Sindoor’ was to save and protect the image of the Prime Minister, who had the blood of the Pahalgam terror victims on his hands. “It is dangerous at this time for the PM to use the forces to protect his image… it is dangerous for the country,” he said, while asserting that the defense forces should only be used in the national interest. “The nation is above your image, above your politics, and above your PR,” he told the Prime Minister, urging him to show humility and dignity. “Security forces are above your politics, image, and PR,” he reiterated.”Do not allow India to be reduced to a battlefield where large powers are fighting. We have to navigate; we have to protect our interest.”

Holding the External Affairs Minister responsible for the diplomatic failure of the country in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, he pointed out that not a single country condemned Pakistan, despite it being responsible for the terror attack. He said not even a single neighbouring country condemned Pakistan.

So much so, he added, the mastermind of the Pahalgam terror attack and the Pakistan Army Chief, Asim Munir, was hosted for lunch at the White House by President Donald Trump, who broke all protocols for this and even said that he wanted to thank him (Munir) for the ceasefire.

Why PM, HM are not owning responsibility?: Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra: The Congress general secretary and Wayanad MP Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tore into the security and diplomatic failure of the government of India in view of the Pahalgam terror attack and its aftermath. She said- First of all, I would like to salute our soldiers and officers who protect our country in the deserts, the dense forests and in the difficult mountain terrains covered with snow. They are always ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the country.

Participating in the debate over ‘Operation Sindoor’ in the Lok Sabha today, Ms Vadra in her half-an-hour-long speech put the government in the dock and counted its negligence and failures point-by-point. She asked why the tourists were left like sitting ducks in the Baisaran valley. I want to know as to how the attack happened on April 22, 2025, and why? Our Government was propagating that terrorism has ended in Kashmir. There is peace and tranquility there. They told the countrymen to visit Kashmir and enjoy themselves.

Meanwhile, Young Shubham Dwivedi and his entire family from Kanpur decided that they would go to Kashmir. They went there. But I ask the Government as to why they allowed this family to be uprooted like this? On April 22, 2025, terrorists selectively killed 26 people in Baisaran Valley. Later, Shubham’s wife told the country that the Government had deserted them like an orphan over there. She noted, the government failed to provide safety and security to the people who went to Pahalgam. “Whose responsibility is this?” she asked, adding, “isn’t it the responsibility of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister?”

Responding to Amit Shah’s references to Mumbai terror attack which took place in 2008 during the Congress-led UPA regime, she said, all the terrorists except one were killed on the spot while the one caught alive was hanged later. She said the Maharashtra Chief Minister resigned taking responsibility, and so did the then union Home Minister.

I want to ask, whether the Government is not aware that 1,000 to 1,500 tourists visit here every day? Didn’t the Government machinery know that one has to go through the forest to reach that place? If something happens, people won’t be able to get out of there. There was no medical facility, no first aid facility. These people went there trusting this Government and the Government left them to God. I want to know whose responsibility it was? Is it not the responsibility of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Defence or the NSA of this country? Three months later, the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir says in a general interview that yes, there was a lot of negligence in Baisaran Valley case and I take responsibility for it. Besides, no one came forward to take any responsibility. TRF, a terrorist group, has carried out 25 attacks in Kashmir between 2020 and 2025. But the Government of India gave TRF the status of a terrorist organization in the year 2023 i.e. three years later. What was the reason for this when it was in the knowledge of the Government?

Referring to the ‘Operation Sindoor’, Ms Vadra said, it has happened for the first time in history that the ceasefire was not announced by the government of India, but by the President of the United States which was a grave diplomatic failure for the country. She also pointed out how the Pakistan Army Chief, responsible for the terror attack in Pahalgam, was hosted for lunch at the White House immediately after the ceasefire.

While mentioning the names of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, she sharply rebuffed the treasury benches when they asked her who they were, telling them sharply, “they were Indians.” The attack of April 22, 2025, is a colossal failure of our agencies. Who will take responsibility for these agencies? Did the Home Minister take the responsibility? The country wants to know what happened on April 22, 2025, and why? When the ‘Operation Sindoor’ started, we all supported it. All stood united for this country. We are proud of our armed forces that they fought resolutely this time too.

But the Home Minister did not answer the question as to why the ceasefire took place. The country’s leadership cannot be strengthened by just taking credit for achievements. It can be strengthened by taking responsibility for both success and failure. If the purpose of the ‘Operation Sindoor’ was to teach Pakistan a lesson, then perhaps this purpose is still incomplete because Pakistan was elected the Chairman of the United Nations Anti-Terrorism Committee. What has happened in Pahalgam has hurt the heart of every countryman. On that day, 26 families had lost their loved ones in Pahalgam. Of those, 25 were Indians. There was no security for the 25 Indians who were killed. We all have an accountability towards their families. They have a right to know the truth. Shri Gaurav Gogoi: First of all, our demand is that the truth of the Pahalgam attack, the truth of ‘Operation Sindoor’ and the truth of foreign policy should come to light. Honourable Minister of Defence furnished a lot of information in his speech. But he chose not to mention how the terrorists came to Pahalgam. Those terrorists also had some motive. Their aim was to destroy the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Their aim was to create a communal atmosphere in India. Their aim was to create war-like tension between India and Pakistan. The people of India completely rejected the motives of the terrorists. We saw in Baisaran how the people of Jammu and Kashmir helped the tourists. This is the culture of our country. I am also proud that all of us in the opposition parties have come together with the Government and asked them to take a firm and resolute step against Pakistan. But the country also wants to know what action the Government has taken so far against those five terrorists and their accomplices. It was said that after the repeal of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir is safe, come to Jammu and Kashmir. People came, people felt safe, but even then ‘Uri’ incident happened, even then ‘Pulwama’ happened, even then ‘Pahalgam’ happened. In the end, who takes responsibility for this, because just a few weeks before that, the Minister of Home Affairs himself was there, he himself reviewed the security there. The intelligence and security framework, the establishment, the people taking decisions about intelligence and security, no matter how big a mistake they have made, no one can question them. If anyone is demanding martyrdom for the people who died in Pahalgam, it is no one else but the leaders of our Party. Now coming to ‘Operation Sindoor’, whether the Government had not said after the 2016 incident that we would enter and destroy Pakistan’s terrorist infrastructure. They maintained the same things then. They said the same things after Pulwama attack. But even after that, Pakistan was so audacious that today they made a terror strike in Pahalgam. If the most painful attack has happened on the citizens of India over the last 20 years, it has occurred during the tenure of the current Government. The jets were shot down, but why it happened, what mistakes were made, that is important, the number is not important. There are only 37 Rafales in the country. Even if a few of them were shot down, I think it was a mammoth loss to the nation. What were the circumstances under which our fighter jets could not move to close range? They have to fire from a distance, because over the last five years, Pakistan is getting about 80 percent of its military hardware from China only. The Army says that in the current scenario, it is not just a two front between China and Pakistan, rather there can be three fronts involving China, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Today the Government should clarify how many fighter planes were shot down. We want to bring their truth in the House today. Moreover, what is remarkable to note here that, not even a single country opposed Pakistan in FATF-Financial Action Task Force. In the year 2022, Pakistan was removed from the grey list. We have to move forward with truth, in favour of democracy.

Shri K.C. Venugopal: I am thankful for being given the opportunity to speak on this important subject of Pahalgam attack followed by ‘Operation Sindoor’. But as usual, the Treasury Benches took this discussion to period of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. I also salute the brave soldiers of our country who were part of ‘Operation Sindoor’. Everybody in the House raised the issue of grave security failure but the Home Minister did not speak a single word on it. You said Kashmir is very safe but if you are inviting tourists to visit Kashmir, is it not your primary duty to provide security for them? There have been about 28 such terrorist attacks in the past. During this Lieutenant Governor’s period alone, there were 608 incidents with 197 security personnel killed. Pahalgam was a part of a continuous series of attacks. The terrorists were clearly asking the religion, asking the name, identifying the religion, and killing. The conspirators behind it want to divide the country in the name of religion. They are doing it from outside. The Kashmiri people, including Muslims, stood firmly with India. President Trump tweeted on ‘X’ that the two countries have agreed to an immediate ceasefire. We want to know the truth. Were the fighter jets lost or not? Shri Rahul Gandhi has mentioned about China joining Pakistan to fight against India. I humbly reiterate that the Government should provide answers to the nation on all these issues.