‘Pakistan firm sought Pahalgam satellite images, how did you miss that?' Kanimozhi rips into Modi govt

The Print

5 days ago

An investigation by ThePrint in May found that just two months before the Pahalgam attack, a US-based space tech company called Maxar Technologies had seen an unprecedented spike in orders for high-resolution satellite images for the region. The orders for Pahalgam satellite images began appearing on the portal after Maxar acquired BSI Pakistan, a Pakistan-based geo-spatial company linked to federal crimes in the US.
Taking part in the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam terror attack, she further asked how the Centre missed the fact that a US company had been getting repeated requests for maps of Pahalgam and one of the companies making these requests was from Pakistan—a newsbreak by ThePrint.
New Delhi: In a blistering attack on the Modi government over the security lapse in Pahalgam, DMK MP Kanimozhi Tuesday asked why no action was taken when the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) had alerted about suspicious activity and terrorists attempting recce in the area.
The follow-up to this investigation with US court documents also confirmed that even before being taken on as a partner officially, the owner of the Pakistani company, Obaidullah Syed, was found to be selling satellite images to government agencies in Pakistan involved with the country's nuclear weapons programme.
'Why did we let it slip? A US company was getting repeated requests for maps of that place and one of the companies which were making requests was from Pakistan, that should have raised a red flag. How did you miss that? You can't keep talking about Operation Sindoor and make us forget all these questions. This is a failure of your government to protect the people,' Kanimozhi said in the House, asking the government to focus on today and not look back at the past all the time.
She also questioned the government's handling of recent terror incidents and accused it of deflecting accountability.
The DMK MP also hit back at Bharatiya Janata Party's critique of the opposition while countering Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who had implied that the opposition parties are less patriotic.
'We have never failed the nation. The DMK was the first to take out a rally in support of the defence forces and stood with the government during the all-party meeting,' she asserted.
Kanimozhi also slammed the government for not apologising for such attacks in the past. 'You have not even learnt humility; the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) during the 2008 Mumbai attacks apologised to the country,' she said.
'What has the Vishwaguru (global leader) learnt from these terror attacks? Vishwaguru has not learnt any lessons. He has not taught anything,' Kanimozhi said, questioning the Modi government's vision.
She also questioned the BJP government over not initiating any action against the Madhya Pradesh minister who insulted Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
The DMK MP said no while no one wants war but 'we have to be prepared'. 'Where are we?' she asked.
She also questioned the absence of global support over the Pahalgam attack. 'Do you have no friends, no friendly neighbours to condemn a country which is sponsoring terrorism against India?'
The DMK MP also criticised the government for functioning through what she termed as an 'extension government'. 'This is an extension government. All bureaucrats, leaders, everyone is on extension. The RAW chief on extension, the CBI (chief) on extension, ED (head) on extension. Don't you trust the next line of leadership?' she asked.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: 3 terrorists who carried out Pahalgam attack killed in Op Mahadev: Home Minister Amit Shah to Lok Sabha