NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that the families of the Pahalgam attack victims, and many others, wanted the three terrorists “shot in their heads,” and that they met the same fate in Operation Mahadev.Replying to the debate on Operation Sindoor in the Rajya Sabha, the home minister said that investigations established the identities of the three terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev and “clearly” showed Lashkar e Tayyaba’s role in the Pahalgam attack, as all three belonged to the outfit. “I want to tell Congress that PoK was given by you, and only the BJP government will bring it back,” Shah said, challenging the Congress. Shah asserted that Operation Sindoor “was not stopped at anyone’s request,” but when Pakistan was “brought to its knees.” He said Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called and said, “Enough is enough, please stop it now.” Alleging that Pakistan attacked Indian civilian areas, he said India destroyed 11 air bases in response. He added that the terrorists killed tourists to send a message that they would not let Kashmir be free from terrorism. “I want to say to the terrorists through this House: do as much as you want, Jammu and Kashmir will be free from terrorism. This is the resolve of Modi ji,” the home minister said. Sharing details of India’s military action, Shah said at least 100 people were killed and the headquarters of terror outfits such as LeT, JeM, and Hizbul Mujahideen were destroyed by the Modi government. “I proudly declare to the world: Hindus can never be terrorists,” he said, questioning the Congress party for allegedly filing false cases against “patriotic religious institutions.” “The Congress never took any concrete steps for the preparation of the Indian Army. During the war with China, we didn’t even have proper clothes to wear in the cold… There was neither salt nor matchsticks, and we had a severe shortage of guns and cartridges.” Praising the forces, Shah said that, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Army is equipped with modern weapons such as the BrahMos missile. “The Akash Teer missile destroys enemy missiles in the air, and our Army can turn Pakistan’s entire air defence system into rubble in just half an hour,” he noted. Slamming former home minister and Congress leader P. Chidambaram, Shah said Chidambaram demanded his resignation, sought proof that the terrorists were from Pakistan, and challenged the justification for Operation Sindoor. “The priority of Congress is not national security but politics; it indulges in vote-bank appeasement,” the home minister said, adding that Chidambaram “exposed the mentality” of Congress by appearing to support Pakistan, LeT, and terrorists for votes. Intervening in the discussion, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said there was no third party intervention in bringing about a ceasefire with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, and that halting the military action was not linked to trade, as claimed by US President Donald Trump. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump had no phone calls between April 22, when the Pahalgam terror attack took place, and June 16. “Blood and water will not flow together,” he said, explaining India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan. Jaishankar said the Modi government had corrected the “wrongs” of Jawaharlal Nehru’s policies by suspending the treaty, adding that it was signed not to buy peace but for appeasement. He also said terrorism is now high on the global agenda due to the Modi government’s efforts, including pressure through the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and that even without a UN Security Council seat, India secured UN recognition that The Resistance Front is a proxy of Pakistan based LeT. Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha J.P. Nadda also criticised the Opposition for “appeasing” Pakistan, saying the Congress led UPA government (2004–14) did not act despite repeated terror attacks. He said those questioning the government’s response after Pahalgam should introspect about their actions when in power. RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha said the killing of 26 people in the Pahalgam attack became the nation’s “collective pain,” adding that national security is a moral duty and that unity in grief should not be used as a shield to deflect valid criticism. He added that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru has become the government’s “life vest,” saying, “If Nehru still bothers you after so many years, there was something special about that man.” Citing President Trump’s recent remarks, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav said the “axis of Pakistan, China, and America” is a “real threat” to India. He cautioned the ruling party against suggesting that the Opposition demoralises the Army: “Don’t plant seeds of doubt in the minds of the Army; this is extremely dangerous.” Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that India reached a ceasefire with Pakistan due to US pressure and said Modi should state clearly whether Trump is lying, noting that the late Indira Gandhi stood up to America. SP MP Jaya Bachchan, speaking in the debate, questioned why India’s retaliatory action after the Pahalgam attack was named “Operation Sindoor,” saying that women were widowed in the incident and “lost their sindoor.” JMM member Mahua Maji, BJP member Brij Lal, BJD member Sulata Deo, TMC (M) member G. K. Vasan, and nominated member Ujjwal Deorao Nikam also participated in the discussion.
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