Operation Sindoor: Modi govt lacked political will to confront Pakistan, says Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday criticised the Narendra Modi government's handling of Operation Sindoor, India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Taking part in the debate in Lok Sabha, he said the government lacked the political will to confront Pakistan and asked the armed forces to operate with their hands tied behind their backs.

Hitting hard at the government, he said that the Indian armed forces suffered losses in the operation because the political leadership constrained the armed forces. He said the opposition had stood behind the government and the armed forces like a rock during India's offensive.

Earlier, speaking during the special discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in the Upper House, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the government and took a jibe at PM Narendra Modi's unscheduled visit to Pakistan in 2015.

Kharge said the prime minister should have been present at the all-party meet instead of campaigning in Bihar, and questioned Modi's sincerity towards national security.

Kharge said Home Minister Amit Shah must take responsibility for the "security lapse" which led to the Pahalgam terror attack, and demanded that accountability be fixed. He was citing Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha's statement.

Demanding accountability, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said the government should admit its 'lapses' and 'failure' in stopping terror attacks.

Symbol of govt's failure: Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav asked the government in Lok Sabha to fix responsibility for the "intelligence failure" that led to the Pahalgam terror attack, saying it cannot get away after such incidents by merely admitting to a lapse.

Participating in the debate on Operation Sindoor in the Lower House, Yadav raised questions on India ending the conflict with Pakistan abruptly and asked, "Under whose pressure was the ceasefire done?"

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also claimed that India's foreign policy has "completely collapsed" and called China a "monster" that will "gobble up our land and market".

"Who will take responsibility for the intelligence lapse in the Pahalgam attack?” Yadav said, adding the tragic incident should never have happened.

The "lapse" has cost precious lives and exposed vulnerabilities in the country's border strategy, he said.

"The launch of Operation Sindoor post Pahalgam attack is itself a symbol of the government's failure," he said.