NEW DELHI, July 29 — Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress party during the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor, calling Pakistan the “root of all terrorism” and asserting that the country itself was a historic blunder caused by Congress leadership.
“Pakistan was a mistake committed by the Congress,” Shah said. “Had they rejected partition, there would be no Pakistan today.” His comments came amid a heated exchange over the government’s recent counter-terrorism operations, particularly Operation Sindoor, which Shah described as a landmark offensive that exposed Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism.
Shah revealed that India’s Armed Forces targeted sites nearly 100 km inside Pakistan, crippling the enemy’s defence infrastructure. “Pakistan was forced to ask us to stop. Our forces struck with precision, and this time, we went deeper than ever before,” he said.
He drew comparisons with past wars to underscore how previous Congress governments, in his view, squandered strategic opportunities. “In 1948, our forces were in a position to take back PoK, but Nehru declared a unilateral ceasefire. In 1971, India held 15,000 sq km of Pakistani territory and saw 93,000 soldiers surrender, yet PoK was not reclaimed,” Shah said.
He also revisited the 1962 India-China war, stating that Prime Minister Nehru, at the time, had virtually given up on Assam in a speech aired on Akashvani.
Shah accused senior Congress leaders of shielding Pakistan, particularly in the wake of the Pahalgam and Gagnagir terror attacks. He cited former Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s past comments asking for proof of Pakistani involvement. “LeT commander Suleiman, along with Afghan and Jibran, all Category A terrorists, were behind these attacks. Security forces were ordered to ensure they did not leave the country, and they were neutralised in Operation Mahadev,” he added.
According to Shah, three terrorists killed in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday were identified as those involved in the Baisaran attack in Pahalgam. The operation, carried out jointly by the Indian Army, CRPF, and J&K Police, was the culmination of a coordinated intelligence-based hunt.
The Home Minister also defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s April 24 speech in Bihar, saying it was not political but a “reflection of the resolve of 140 crore Indians to fight terrorism.”
Meanwhile, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram criticised the BJP for what he termed as “rearview mirror politics,” accusing the ruling party of invoking past Congress actions rather than focusing on present accountability.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the House later in the evening, as the high-stakes debate on national security and the government’s anti-terror strategy continues.
