Congress to Expose Govt’s Sindoor ‘Lies’

New Delhi: The gloves are off. As a multi-party delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha left on Wednesday for Japan to put across India’s views on terrorism emanating from Pakistan, the Congress announced a “Jai Hind Sabha” across the country by the party’s ex-servicemen’s department “expose” the Narendra Modi government’s lies on “Operation Sindoor”. The party also held Union home minister Amit Shah responsible for the security lapse in Pahalgam. AICC ex-servicemen’s department chief Rohit Chaudhry said at a press conference that Mr Shah must take responsibility and be held responsible “as there is both a security and intelligence failure”.

Hitting back, the BJP claimed that the Congress was targeting the government since it “lacked the courage to seek proof of the Indian armed forces’ action against Pakistan”. The BJP claimed that Congress leaders from party president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh to Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi “are trying to outdo each other in the race to gain popularity in Pakistan”.

However, even as the parties locked horns, delegation leader Sanjay Jha told the media that his team “will reveal the true face of Pakistan in promoting state-sponsored terrorism”. Speaking to the media, he said: “The biggest issue is terrorism. This is Pakistan’s state policy. It is the job of the delegation to reveal its true face.” Besides Japan, the delegation will also visit South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore as part of New Delhi’s outreach after Operation Sindoor and the subsequent conflict between India and Pakistan.

On the domestic front, however, the war of words continued to escalate between the political rivals. On Tuesday, while the BJP linked Mr Rahul Gandhi to Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir, now promoted to field-marshal, the Bihar Congress compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. On Wednesday the Congress, taking the BJP head-on, said the country’s defence forces were “hundred per cent successful”, but Prime Minister Modi “failed” as a leader.

For the Congress’ nationwide “Jai Hind Sabha”, senior party leaders will fan out across the country to address these events. After the Modi government ignored the Congress’ choices and picked Shashi Tharoor to lead one of the delegations, the Congress continued its criticism at a media briefing on Wednesday. The party claimed that “the delegation was an attempt to divert attention”. Mr Jairam Ramesh asked why the Centre was not convening a special session of Parliament on the Pahalgam attack. The Congress noted that “India got the support of countries following the 26/11 attack as the perpetrators were killed and one was arrested, but after the Pahalgam attack, the government is sending diplomatic delegations abroad and preparing a dossier while the terrorists remain at large”.

Reacting sharply, the BJP said Mr Ramesh’s remarks “are an insult to members of Parliament”. Accusing the Congress leader of “belittling” the government’s effort to convey India’s strong stand against Pakistan-sponsored terror, BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said the “INDIA alliance has started behaving like the Popular Front of Pakistan”.