Rahul faces a day to forget; Modi-Shah corner Congress on security

New Delhi: It was a terrible day for Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha—one marked by a near-slip into abusive language and a performance so aggressive that even seasoned political observers wondered aloud: for what purpose?

Tuesday’s debate on Operation Sindoor became the stage for a public unravelling of Congress’s narrative and, in real time, a clinic in political humiliation delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Gandhi, in his attempt to mount an all-out attack, came close to using an expletive on the floor at one point.

“The government of India thought they were fighting Pakistan, and when they arrived, they suddenly realised that they were not f****ng, fighting Pakistan. They were fighting China and Pakistan,” Gandhi blurted.

Political analysts later dismissed his performance as more angry than insightful.

Why drag out an issue that was already moving out of public memory? Several political observers expressed their disappointment after having forced themselves to see a ray of hope in Gandhi.

“They should have let this issue pass. Are they keeping it alive for their own loss?” quipped one analyst, capturing the bewilderment among Congress sympathisers.

Congress exposed on national security

For the Congress, national security has always been a fraught subject.

“On security, the Gandhis are always weak. Rahul sounded angrier than thoughtful,” said a veteran commentator, echoing a widely held view in the press gallery.

It soon became clear that the Congress had walked straight into a trap set by the government.

Rahul Gandhi’s pointed accusations, alleging that the Modi government used the armed forces for PR, failed to stand up to Donald Trump, and surrendered by revealing operational details to Pakistan, were met with devastating rebuttals.

Modi’s point-by-point destruction

Prime Minister Modi, rising after Gandhi’s tirade, picked apart every accusation with clinical precision.

No world pressure: Modi dismissed the claim that India halted Operation Sindoor under foreign pressure. “No world leader asked India to stop its military operation,” he declared, stating on record that only three out of 193 UN nations backed Pakistan.

Congress tears for terrorists: Modi accused the Congress of “importing issues from Pakistan” and siding with terrorist masterminds. “The world supported us, but the Congress did not support the valour of our armed forces,” he said, drawing a sharp contrast between global and Congress responses.

Remote control from Pakistan: In his most damning swipe, Modi said Congress is now “guided by remote control in Pakistan,” echoing narratives from across the border and undermining the morale of the armed forces.

Missed opportunities and historic blunders: Citing historical context, Modi reminded the House how Congress governments failed to reclaim PoK even when India had Pakistani land and soldiers in custody. “Before asking why PoK has not been taken back yet, Congress must respond—who let it go? India is still suffering the pain of mistakes committed by previous Congress governments,” he thundered, laying the blame at Nehru’s feet.

Indus Waters Treaty and UN seat: Modi didn’t stop there, branding Nehru’s signing of the Indus Waters Treaty as a “big blunder” and holding him responsible for losing India’s seat at the United Nations Security Council.

Amit Shah’s surgical strikes on Congress

Home Minister Amit Shah followed up with a scorched-earth critique that left Congress further exposed:

Partition and terrorism roots: Shah described Pakistan as the “result of Congress’s blunder,” blaming the party for partition and, by extension, terrorism emanating from across the border.

Ceasefire in Kashmir: He accused Nehru of announcing a unilateral ceasefire in 1948, gifting PoK to Pakistan and missing a crucial chance in 1971 to settle the Kashmir question for good.

Returning land and POWs: “We had 93,000 Pakistani POWs and 15,000 square kilometres of territory. Yet at Shimla, Congress signed away both, without asking for PoK,” Shah pointed out.

Repealing POTA: Shah slammed the Congress for repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), questioning whom the party sought to protect.

Letting terrorists flee: He reeled off the list of terrorists who escaped India under successive Congress governments, from Dawood Ibrahim to Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal. “Let Rahul Gandhi answer why these people fled the country,” Shah demanded.

Shedding tears for terrorists: Shah didn’t let up, recalling how senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said Sonia Gandhi cried for Batla House terrorists, questioning the party’s priorities.

Giving clean chit to Pakistan: Shah pounced on P Chidambaram’s recent statements casting doubt on the nationality of the Pahalgam attackers. “If Chidambaram says these were not Pakistanis, then it means he is giving a clean chit to Pakistan in front of the world,” Shah charged.

A humiliation that will last long?

It was a spectacle seldom seen in Indian parliamentary history: a prime minister and a home minister, in total command of facts, history, and public mood, methodically dismantling the opposition, leaving the Congress not just speechless but exposed.

The Modi-Shah duo’s offensive, point by point, left Gandhi and his party reeling from blows that will not be easy to recover from.

The Congress’s missteps on a subject as sensitive as national security have handed the government an open goal, and the aftershocks are going to be even scarier than the first quake.