New Delhi: In a charged moment in the Lok Sabha during the debate on Operation Sindoor, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Tuesday read out the names of the 25 Indians killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, framing their identity as “Bharatiya“, as members of the ruling BJP interjected with shouts of “Hindus”.
The sharp exchange between the treasury and Opposition benches capped Priyanka’s speech, in which she called the Pahalgam killings a “major failure of Indian agencies”, and said no number of military operations could help the government “hide behind the truth” that it failed to protect Indian lives.
“In this House, nearly everyone has security forces protecting them wherever they go. That day, in Pahalgam, 26 families were devastated. There were 26 sons, husbands and fathers who were killed. Out of them, 25 were Indians,” said Priyanka.
Immediately, a few members from the treasury benches interjected, with shouts of “Hindus”. Priyanka paused, looked up, and responded, “Bharatiya the (they were Indians).”
The remark drew loud desk-thumping from the Opposition benches. “Those who were in the Baisaran Valley, and the 25 Indians who were killed, there was no security for them. No matter how many operations you carry out, you cannot hide behind this truth. You could not keep them safe,” she said, going on to name all the 25 slain Indian tourists.
“I want to read out the names of those 25 Indians so that every member sitting here realises that they were also humans like us, not pawns in a larger political game. They are also martyrs of this country. Their family members deserve to know the truth,” said the Congress general secretary.
Speaking before Priyanka, Home Minister Amit Shah claimed in his speech that Sonia Gandhi had broken down after the Batla House encounter. “She should have cried for Shaheed Mohan Sharma instead of the terrorists of the Batla House,” he’d said earlier in the day.
In her speech, Priyanka responded to Shah. “He spoke about my mother’s tears. My mother cried when her husband was martyred by terrorists. When she was all of 44. I talk about the pain of the families because I can actually feel their pain and anguish,” she said.
Priyanka also sought to counter Shah, who listed the terror attacks that happened during the rule of Congress-led UPA I and UPA II, pointing out that following the Mumbai attacks in 2008, the then home minister Shivraj Patil and Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh resigned.
“Under the home minister. Manipur is burning, there were riots in Delhi, attack in Pahalgam. He is still occupying the chair. Why? Why was there no security at Baisaran Valley? There was no security, no first aid. You left them at the mercy of God. Are the prime minister, home minister, defence minister, NSA not responsible?” she said.
On Shah blaming Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi for certain foreign policy and military moves which, he said, were detrimental to India’s interests, Priyanka said, “You dwell on history, I want to talk of the present. You just need an excuse to blame my family. You have been in power for the past 11 years. Take your own responsibility.”
Priyanka also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he wants to walk away with the credit of Operation Sindoor, just like “claiming credit for Indian athletes winning medals at the Olympics”.
But leadership is also about owning up responsibility, she said, terming US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “ceasefire” between India and Pakistan 10 May as the biggest symbol of Modi being an “irresponsible” PM.
She also referred to Shah’s statement that Pakistan approached India, urging to stop the military action.
“The home minister claimed that Pakistan sought India’s sharan as it was left with no option. But why did you give sharan? Why did this ceasefire happen? Why did the war end?” she said, echoing remarks made by Congress’s Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi on Monday.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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