Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra delivered a searing critique of the central government during the parliamentary debate on Operation Sindoor, holding it accountable for what she termed a grave intelligence and security failure that led to the brutal Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. The attack resulted in the deaths of 26 innocent civilians, including tourists, in one of Kashmir’s most visited locations — Baisaran Valley.
Gandhi began her address by questioning why such a high-footfall tourist destination was left completely unguarded. "The Defence Minister spoke for an hour. Other ruling party MPs spoke too. They spoke about Operation Sindoor, terrorism, national security, and even history. But no one spoke about what happened on April 22, when 26 people were killed in front of their families. How did this happen? Why did it happen?" she asked.
Highlighting the government's repeated claims that terrorism had been eradicated in Kashmir, Gandhi pointed out the contradiction between the assurances of safety and the tragic events of April 22. She recounted the story of Shubham Dwivedi, a newlywed who visited Kashmir with his family. On that fateful day, tourists were enjoying themselves — some ziplining, some sipping tea, children playing on a trampoline — when four armed terrorists emerged from the forest and opened fire, killing Shubham in front of his wife and then identifying and executing 25 more people over the next hour.
Quoting Shubham’s wife, Aishanya, Gandhi said: "I saw my world end. There was not a single security guard. The country and the government had abandoned us there." Gandhi then posed a series of pointed questions: “Why wasn't even a single soldier deployed there? Did the government not know that 1,000-1,500 people visit Baisaran every day? There was no security, no first aid. These people went there sarkaar bharose (trusting the government) and were left bhagwan bharose (at God's mercy).”
She further questioned the accountability of key government figures: "Is the Prime Minister not responsible? The Home Minister? The Defence Minister? The National Security Advisor?" She reminded the House that just two weeks before the attack, the Home Minister had visited Kashmir and declared that terrorism had been wiped out. Yet, three months after the massacre, the only official acknowledgment was the Lieutenant Governor’s casual acceptance of responsibility — a response she deemed wholly inadequate.
Gandhi criticised the delay in designating The Resistance Front (TRF) — the group that claimed responsibility for the attack — as a terrorist organisation. “TRF was formed in 2019, but declared a terrorist organisation only three years later. If the government was aware of this group, why didn’t any agency detect the planning of such a massive attack? Isn’t this a glaring failure of our intelligence and security apparatus?” she asked.
Drawing comparisons with the 2008 Mumbai attacks, she reminded the House of the swift actions taken back then: “All the attackers, except one, were killed the same day. The lone survivor was hanged in 2012. The Maharashtra Chief Minister resigned, and so did the Union Home Minister. There was accountability.”
Gandhi also pointed out that this attack happened under the watch of Home Minister Amit Shah, adding that similar lapses occurred during the Delhi riots and the Manipur crisis. “When our country is attacked, every MP, regardless of party, stands united. We are proud of our armed forces. But the Prime Minister cannot just take credit for Operation Sindoor. True leadership means taking responsibility too.”
Also Read: No Modi-Trump call during Operation Sindoor: Jaishankar
In a stinging remark, she mentioned that the ceasefire announcement between India and Pakistan was made not by the Indian government, but by then-US President Donald Trump. “This, more than anything, reflects the Prime Minister’s irresponsibility,” she said. Criticising the Home Minister further, she said he failed to answer why the ceasefire was announced when "the enemy was at our mercy." Gandhi added emotionally, “He spoke about my mother’s tears. She wept when her husband became a martyr. Today, I speak about these 26 people because I feel their pain. The country doesn’t want only revenge, it wants safety and truth.”
She accused the government of dodging questions and called its response a display of political cowardice. “This government has no accountability. Everything is about PR and politics,” she said. “We in this House are protected wherever we go. But those 26 innocent civilians didn’t get any protection. You can launch as many operations as you like, but that fact will not change.”
Concluding her speech, Gandhi recited the names of all 26 victims, urging Parliament to remember their humanity. “They are not just numbers. They are not political pawns. They are sons, husbands, and fathers. They are martyrs of this country. We all are accountable to their families.”
Also Read: Shah says Pahalgam attackers were from Pak, slams Chidambaram
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