Nadda blasts Congress for 'ignoring' terror menace in J&K, praises Modi's decisive leadership
Continuing the debate on Operation Sindoor initiated yesterday in Rajya Sabha, Nadda took a swipe at the Congress' handling of national security during its tenure, asserting that terrorism had gone 'unchecked' in Jammu and Kashmir under successive UPA governments. 'They kept killing us, we served them Biryani,' Nadda said, hitting out at the Congress for what the BJP calls its "appeasement policy".
'Pahalgam did not happen in isolation,' he said, citing a chronology of terror incidents during the Congress years. 'We lived in darkness before 2014.'
Hailing Prime Minister's leadership in taking decisive action against terrorism, Nadda said "there is a difference between a responsible, sensitive, proactive government and a government which responds according to the needs of the hour, and a lukewarm, non-reactive government".
'There is another type of government, one that is inactive, carries a lukewarm attitude, and is non-reactive and non-responsive. We need to assess this in two phases: the period from 2004 to 2014, and the period from 2014 to 2025,' Nadda said.
"The then government took no action in the 2005 Delhi serial bomb blasts, the 2006 Varanasi terrorist attack, and the 2006 Mumbai local train bombings... "The issue is that during that time, terrorism, trade, and tourism continued between India and Pakistan," Nadda said.
In contrast, he remarked, between 2014 and 2025, barring Jammu and Kashmir, the country had witnessed a complete cessation of terror attacks—a development he attributed to the Modi government's firm approach to internal security. This is the importance of decisive political leadership in responding to national security threats, he commented.
While hailing the role of Army in successfully executing the operation against Pakistan, he said the political leadership is extremely important as it gives directions to the armed forces.
'Political leadership is very important, as it is the leadership that gives instructions to the Army.'
Referring to senior Congress leaders, he said some were reluctant even to visit Kashmir or develop border areas. 'They did not have the courage or clarity. That is why the country suffered,' he remarked.
Nadda also called on the Opposition to participate constructively in the national security debate. 'This is a question of the nation,' he said, urging a serious and united response to the security challenges. 'Do it with a smiling face—and if you can't smile, borrow a smile from me,' he added in a lighter vein.
Criticising the Congress' approach to strategic issues such as the Indus Waters Treaty, Nadda said the party failed to understand the meaning of political will. 'Even keeping the treaty in abeyance sends a message. Congress doesn't grasp that,' he said.
The minister reiterated the government's commitment to national security and emphasised that terrorism must be tackled through decisive action rather than political rhetoric.
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