Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday launched a strong attack on the Congress party during a special discussion in the Rajya Sabha on ‘Operation Sindoor’—India’s counterterrorism response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack. Shah declared that only the Narendra Modi-led government had the political will to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which he said was lost due to Congress policies.
Beginning his address by offering condolences to the families of civilians killed in the Pahalgam attack, Shah praised the Indian armed forces for swiftly executing Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev, under which top Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives, including Suleman, Afghan, and Jibran, were neutralised.
He said, “Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the Indian forces delivered one of the most precise and powerful counter-terror operations globally. The masterminds of the Pahalgam attack were hunted down and eliminated.”
Shah detailed the forensic evidence linking weapons recovered during Operation Mahadev to the Pahalgam incident, stating that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted a rigorous investigation, questioning over 1,000 people and arresting those who had harboured the terrorists.
Targeting the opposition, Shah criticised a former Congress Home Minister for seeking proof that the terrorists came from Pakistan, accusing the party of appeasement politics. “They even question the naming of operations. ‘Har Har Mahadev’ was not just a name—it’s a battle cry that Shivaji Maharaj’s army used,” Shah said.
Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s speech in Bihar, Shah reiterated that “every inch of ground held by terrorists will be reduced to dust,” stating that terrorist camps, launch pads, and headquarters across the border had already been destroyed.
He revealed that after a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting on April 23, several decisive actions were taken:
- Suspension of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, benefiting Indian farmers.
- Closure of the Attari Integrated Check Post.
- Suspension of SAARC visas for Pakistani citizens.
- Reduction of Pakistan’s diplomatic staff in India.
- Full operational freedom given to the Indian Army.
By May 7, Shah said, India had destroyed nine terrorist bases in Pakistan, killing around 100 terrorists and dismantling the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Shah claimed terrorism in Kashmir has declined by 70%, and for the first time, no local youth are joining terrorist groups. He credited this shift to the abrogation of Article 370, the crackdown on separatism, and the Modi government’s zero-tolerance approach.
Highlighting Modi’s strong national security record, Shah said over 57 individuals had been declared terrorists under the amended UAPA law, and agencies like the NIA and NATGRID have been strengthened to pursue terror threats even beyond India’s borders.
On foreign policy, Shah slammed the 2009 Sharm el-Sheikh declaration, calling it the “Balochistan blunder” where the Congress-led government equated India and Pakistan as victims of terrorism. “The world knows Pakistan is a sponsor of terror, not a victim,” he asserted.
Shah also underlined India’s growing global stature under PM Modi, pointing to the 27 international civilian honours Modi has received, and the successful hosting of G20 events across Indian states.
On the economic front, Shah highlighted India’s rapid progress:
- 4th largest economy globally with a GDP of $4.19 trillion.
- Over 97% railways electrified, 159 operational airports, 136 Vande Bharat trains.
- India nearing top spot in mobile phone manufacturing.
- 118 unicorn startups, ₹1.27 lakh crore in defence production, and ₹21,000 crore in defence exports.
He said the Modi government has provided 60 crore people with basic needs like homes, electricity, toilets, gas, drinking water, ration, and healthcare up to ₹5 lakh.
Concluding his fiery speech, Shah said, “The Congress gave away PoK. Bringing it back will only be possible under the Modi government. This era will be remembered in golden letters in India’s centenary history of independence.”
