'Where were security personnel during Pahalgam attack?': Priyanka counters Centre
What's the story
During the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament on Tuesday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned how a popular tourist destination like Pahalgam was left unguarded. "Why was not even one security personnel present there (Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam)?.. Is the safety and security of the citizens not the responsibility of the prime minister, home minister, and defense minister?...," the Congress MP said.
Shah
How did attack happen
"Did the government not know that 1,000-1,500 people go there every day? There was no security, no first aid. These people went there sarkaar bharose (after trusting the government) and the government left them bhagwan bharose (to God's grace)," the Wayanad MP questioned. She said that Defense Minister Rajnath Singh spoke for an hour about terrorism, protecting the country, and also gave a history lesson. But one thing was left out, which was, "How did this attack happen?"
Communal angle
'My mother's tears fell when terrorists killed my father'
Vadra also addressed attempts to give a communal angle to the terror attack, answering with "Bharatiye the" when a few MPs stated the victims were "Hindus." "Union Home Minister spoke about my mother's tears...I want to answer this. My mother's tears fell when terrorists killed my father. Today, when I talk about [Pahalgam victims]...it's because I understand their pain," she said. She also criticized the Centre for reducing national tragedies to political talking points, saying, "For them, everything is politics...publicity."
Akhilesh
We could have taught them a lesson: Akhilesh
Speaking before Vadra, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav had slammed the government for its decision to allow a ceasefire to be announced after Operation Sindoor. He called the Pahalgam terror attack an "intelligence failure" and asked why India didn't take a stronger stand against Pakistan. "We could have taught them a lesson," he said, adding that US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire instead of India.
Ceasefire criticism
Why didn't govt announce ceasefire itself, asks Yadav
Yadav also questioned why the government didn't announce the ceasefire itself. "We were hoping the government itself would have announced it. But since they have deep friendships, the government asked their friend [Trump] to announce the ceasefire," he said. He also demanded accountability for security lapses during the Pahalgam attack and criticized Operation Sindoor as an example of intelligence failure.
Security concerns
Who will take responsibility for security lapse in Pahalgam?
Yadav also asked who would take responsibility for the security lapse in Pahalgam, questioning the government's claims that there would be no terrorist incidents after Article 370 was abrogated. He also demanded to know India's total area, alleging that China has encroached on Indian territory. Union Home Minister Amit Shah started the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders expected to speak later.