Coming down heavily on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday charged that after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the Congress-led UPA avoided military strikes against Pakistan following pressure from a third country. Modi's charge comes as the Centre is facing scrutiny over US President Donald Trump's claims of halting Operation Sindoor.
Addressing during the inauguration of Navi Mumbai International Airport, Prime Minister Modi charged that Congress's weakness "strengthened terrorists" in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. "The country had to repeatedly pay for this mistake by sacrificing lives," Modi charged.
"Mumbai is not only the economic capital city but also one of the most vibrant cities in India. This is the reason terrorists attacked Mumbai in 2008. But the then Congress government gave a message of weakness," the prime minister charged.
"Recently, a senior Congress leader and former home minister has revealed that after the Mumbai attacks, our security forces were ready to attack Pakistan, but due to pressure from another country, the Congress government at the time stopped our security forces. Congress needs to tell who made the decision under pressure from a foreign power; the country has the right to know," Prime Minister Modi said. "For us, nothing is more important than national security and the safety of our citizens," Modi added.
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The prime minister's charge comes amidst facing scrutiny over the United States' role in Operation Sindoor. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack earlier this year. After days of heightened military action, India and Pakistan agreed to stop firing on May 10. While India has maintained that ceasefire talks were bilateral, US President Trump has repeatedly claimed of playing a crucial role in stopping the war.
The Congress-led Opposition targeted the Modi government over the US's claims. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, called Modi a "weak prime minister" for allegedly halting Operation Sindoor on "Trump's advice". |
