'They Talk About Diplomacy, Taking PoK?': PM Modi Revisits Nehru's Policies, UPA's Track Record

News18

5 days ago

PM Modi blames Congress for failing to take back PoK when India had the upper hand.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a fresh offensive against the Congress in the Lok Sabha, accusing the party of repeatedly compromising India's national security during a fiery speech in Lok Sabha.
In a series of sharp remarks, PM Modi said historic decisions taken by the Congress leadership had long-term consequences, including missed opportunities to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the surrender of India's water rights under the Indus Waters Treaty.
He said that during the 1971 war, India had captured thousands of Pakistani soldiers and large areas of Pakistani territory.
'With more vision, PoK could have been reclaimed then," he said, adding that 'it was all laid out on the table" and even the Kartarpur corridor could have been brought back under India's control. The Prime Minister blamed the then Congress leadership for lacking the political will to take decisive action.
'Before asking why PoK wasn't reclaimed, they should answer who let Pakistan take it in the first place. The answer is clear," PM Modi said.
He said that Congress leaders in the early 1960s were ready to abandon areas like Poonch, Uri, Neelam Valley and the Kishanganga region, all in the name of a so-called 'Line of Peace'.
He also accused the party of compromising the Rann of Kutch during the 1966 conflict and said that under them the then-government almost accepted international mediation and was about to give up nearly 800 km of its land.
Taking aim at former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Modi said the Congress government's decision to approach the World Bank to mediate the Indus Waters Treaty was a betrayal.
'Our water, our rivers but who decides? The World Bank? Nehru ji agreed to give 80 percent of the water to Pakistan," he said. 'The Indus Waters Treaty was a big betrayal."
He said that whenever he speaks about Nehru or the Congress, their supporters and ecosystem 'get agitated," but insisted the criticism was rooted in facts. 'The decisions you took, we are still suffering because of those".
The Prime Minister's sharp rebuttal came shortly after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the government of lacking the political will to let the armed forces act freely. Gandhi alleged that the Centre revealed operational details to Pakistan after the April 22 terror attack and failed to give the military full freedom of action. His speech triggered strong protests from BJP MPs and led to a fiery response from Modi in the House.
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