Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday attacked the Opposition for questioning the government for agreeing to a ceasefire with Pakistan in May and lashed out at the Congress for being soft on terror and exonerating Islamabad over it. He said that the Congress’s tradition of having debates after every terror attack was over. Union home minister Amit Shah. (ANI)

“They [Opposition] asked why we agreed to a ceasefire when we were in such a good position? I want to ask then, in 1948, our soldiers had an upper hand in Kashmir, but [Prime Minister Jawaharlal] Nehru stopped the war. PoK [Pakistan-occupied Kashmir] was lost because of Nehru,” he said during the Parliament debate on Operation Sindoor launched against Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack in April.

Shah said Vallabhbhai Patel, Nehru’s deputy, tried to go to the radio station to announce the 1947-48 war would continue, but its doors were shut. “In the Indus Waters Treaty [suspended post-Pahalgam attack], 80% of Indian waters were given to Pakistan. In 1965, we controlled Haji Pir Pass [in Jammu and Kashmir]. But in 1966, Haji Pir was returned to Pakistan.”

Shah said India captured 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war in 1971 and occupied 15,000 square km of Pakistan. “But as part of the Shimla agreement, PoK was forgotten and the territory was returned.” Shah said if Congress was exonerating Pakistan, then it had no right to ask questions. He added that Nehru gave away Aksai Chin, saying no grass grows there. Shah said Nehru was asked should he also be sent to China, as he did not have any hair on his head.

“Nehru opposed China’s exclusion from the UN Security Council, saying it would spoil the India-China relationship. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation had a Memorandum of Understanding with China during…[the 2017 China–India border standoff] at Doklam. Rahul Gandhi met the Chinese ambassador.”

Shah took exception to former home minister P Chidambaram’s alleged comment during an interview, questioning the assumption that the Pahalgam terrorists came from Pakistan. “I thought both sides [government and Opposition] would be happy that the terrorists have died? Do not be sad, going by the religion of the terrorists,” said Shah, who announced that three Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists involved in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack were killed on Monday in Dachigam near Srinagar after a two-month operation.

Shah recalled meeting the Pahalgam victims. “I can never forget the face of a woman who had married six days ago [and lost her husband]. It is our responsibility [to punish terrorists]. But I want to ask, what happened during your time? I am sorry that Chidambaram sought proof that the terrorists came from Pakistan. And when did he raise it? When Parliament was set to debate. Whom did he want to save? What will you gain by saving Pakistan?” Shah asked.

When Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi protested, saying they had not exonerated Pakistan, Shah said, “But if you are sitting with them, then you have to share the burden.”

Shah blamed Congress for Pakistan’s creation. “Congress opposed [Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002] and scrapped it. It is trying to save terrorists to save the vote bank. During our time, terror attacks have been limited to Jammu and Kashmir.”

Shah referred to Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s statement claiming Sonia Gandhi cried after the 2008 shoot out in Delhi’s Batla House, which left police officer Mohan Chand Sharma dead. “If you had to cry, you should have cried for the martyr [Sharma].”