The Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed a heated debate during the ongoing Monsoon Session, with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launching a sharp attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over both the Pahalgam terror attack and the continuing unrest in Manipur. Speaking during the debate on Operation Sindoor, she demanded accountability from the Centre, asserting that “the entire state of Manipur burned under Amit Shah’s watch.”
Raising strong questions about national security lapses, Priyanka Gandhi asked how such a large-scale terror attack could occur in a heavily militarised zone like Baisaran valley in Kashmir. “Where were the soldiers when the valley was full of tourists? Why did no intelligence agency pick up the threat? Has anyone resigned—be it the IB chief or the Home Minister?” she said in Parliament.
The Congress leader criticised Amit Shah for not taking moral responsibility for the incident and for not addressing the Pahalgam security failure directly in his hour-long speech. She also accused him of deflecting the discussion by invoking Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi’s personal stories rather than speaking on current failures.
Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, echoed the sentiment, stating, “Even the J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha admitted there was a security failure. But the Home Minister did not. The blame lies with this government, not with past leaders.”
Meanwhile, the Union Home Minister claimed that the three terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev were responsible for the Pahalgam attack and lauded the coordinated efforts of the Army, CRPF, and J&K Police.
Yet, Priyanka Gandhi underlined a deeper concern. “While we discussed Operation Sindoor, we forgot to ask: how did Pahalgam happen? And more importantly, why is Manipur still burning?” she asked.
The Manipur crisis, now over a year old, continues to echo through Parliament, with no clear resolution in sight.