Op Sindoor showdown: Congress questions Pahalgam security lapse, India’s foreign policy

New Delhi: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday slammed the Narendra Modi government over the alleged security lapse in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and said that the Centre can’t hide behind the Lieutenant Governor over the loss of 26 lives, as the onus lies with the former.

Leading the Congress charge on the Operation Sindoor debate in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi said that the Defence Minister didn’t inform the House on how the terrorists infiltrated into the Baisaran valley, and the Home Minister must be held accountable for the lapses.

“More than 100 days have passed since the ghastly terror attack, but the government has utterly failed in nabbing them and bringing them to justice,” he said.

“The Defence Minister spoke a lot but didn’t answer how terrorists reached Pahalgam and managed to massacre 26 people,” he said.

Gogoi, also the Deputy Leader of Lok Sabha, tore into the government’s defence of Operation Sindoor and raised multiple questions, while citing ‘acceptance of losses’ by the topmost officers of the Armed Forces.

Quoting statements of CDS Anil Chauhan and other senior army officers, the Congress MP asked the Centre to come clean, accept the truth and also give the nation a ‘clear picture’ about the cross-border operation.

Referring to CDS and Deputy Chief of Army Staff’s remarks, Gogoi said that the security forces committed some mistakes in the early part of Operation Sindoor and then recalibrated their strategy to fire from long range.

“I want to ask the Defence Minister why our fighter jets had to fire from a long range when our arsenal and jets are said to be among the best,” he said.

“Lieutenant General Rahul R Singh clearly stated at the FICCI meet that it was a two-front war with active backing from China. Despite open support from China, why did the government fail to name it even once and show it the red eye,” he asked.

Quoting defence attache Group Captain Shiv Kumar in Indonesia, Gogoi said that India lost fighter jets because there were restraints on attacking military installations across the border and asked why the Indian military was asked to show restraint.

Gogoi further said that India’s foreign policy has proved to be an utter failure and also raised serious questions on India’s global outreach in the aftermath of Op Sindoor.

“India and Pakistan have been hyphenated after the terror attack,” he said.

“If Pakistan has been isolated, then how is it getting funding from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB),” he further asked.

Congress lawmaker further said that the nation witnessed the worst-ever terror strikes in Jammu and Kashmir under the BJP dispensation, highlighting Uri, Pulwama and Pahalgam as alarming examples.

He further said that despite the gaps in the intelligence and security framework, arrogance has crept into governance, and the ruling dispensation feels that any level of lapse can be overlooked.

“After the dastardly terror attack, the Prime Minister didn’t go to Pahalgam but rather went to Bihar to address an election rally. It is our leader Rahul Gandhi who visited Pahalgam, met the aggrieved families and showed solidarity with them,” Gogoi claimed.

IANS