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The Hindu
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Opposition parties in Lok Sabha question the government on accountability for the Pahalgam terror attack, ‘ineffective' foreign policy
Opposition leaders, speaking in the Lok Sabha on the second day of the debate on Operation Sindoor on Tuesday (July 29, 2025), targeted the Narendra Modi government over 'intelligence failure' and the 'lack of security' that resulted in the Pahalgam terror attack and sought to fix responsibility. Parliament Monsoon Session: Follow LIVE updates on July 29, 2025 They questioned the 'abrupt ceasefire announcement' on social media by U.S. President Donald Trump and attacked India's foreign policy for being unable to isolate Pakistan. Lok Sabha member from Wayanad and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asserted that leadership was not just about taking credit but also about owning responsibility. Ms. Vadra said that Mr. Trump announcing the ceasefire reflected the Prime Minister's 'irresponsibility'. Taking on Home Minister Amit Shah, who, quoting former Union Minister Salman Khurshid, had said that 'Sonia Gandhi cried for Batla House terrorists', Ms. Vadra replied, 'I would like to answer to that point, my mother cried when her husband was martyred by terrorists.' Also Read | In Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi questions political will behind Operation Sindoor No self-praise by the government about Operation Sindoor can take away their culpability that tourists were left without any security, she said. 'I want to ask whose responsibility is the safety of the country's citizens? Is it not the responsibility of this country's Prime Minister, Home Minister, Defence Minister?,' Ms. Vadra asked. She read out the names of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. When BJP members shouted that they were all Hindus, she replied, 'They were all Bharatiyas'. In a sharp attack, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi alleged that the government had failed the people of India and it was forced to send Opposition leaders on multi-party delegations for global outreach post Operation Sindoor. Also Read | Amit Shah must take responsibility for 'security lapse' at Pahalgam: Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha 'We had to go because you have failed the people of India. The vishwaguru has failed us... Today it has become a blame game. Even today, the Home Minister, in his speech, only concentrated on blaming the Opposition,' she said. Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said the Modi government had claimed that after the dilution of Article 370, there would be no more terror attacks but it was forced to launch Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam attack. 'The launch of Operation Sindoor post the Pahalgam attack is itself a symbol of the government's failure,' Mr. Yadav said, adding, 'During Operation Sindoor, no country stood by us. This is a dark phase for India's foreign diplomacy'. The SP chief also questioned the timing of Operation Mahadev, to eliminate the terrorists involved in the April 22 terror attack, on the day Parliament started the debate.
Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘PM Modi wants credit, not responsibility': In Lok Sabha, Priyanka Gandhi tears into Centre over Pahalgam attack
Slamming the NDA government over the Pahalgam terror attack, Manipur violence and Delhi riots in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned why Home Minister Amit Shah was continuing in his post, and sought to know why no one resigned after the Pahalgam incident. Taking part in the special discussion on Operation Sindoor in Parliament, Vadra said that ruling-side members repeatedly talked about the 2008 Mumbai attacks and claimed that the Manmohan Singh government did nothing. 'You would be aware that the terrorists were killed during the attack itself and one person left was hanged in 2012. The Maharashtra Chief Minister resigned, and Union Home Minister too resigned, taking responsibility. That was the accountability towards the public and the land of the nation,' the MP said She added that Rajnath Singh was Home Minister at the time of Pulwama, Uri and Pathankot attacks, and is presently the Defence Minister. 'And entire Manipur got burnt under Home Minister Amit Shah's watch, riots happened in Delhi, attack happened in Pahalgam and he is still occupying his post even today. Why?' Vadra asked. When the members from Treasury benches spoke about past terror attacks of UPA regimes, Vadra responded, 'You talk about history, I want to talk about the present… You want an excuse and you read the name of the entire family. You take responsibility for yourself, you have been in power for 11 years.' Vadra said that when Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi asked in the House on Monday whether these were not the responsibility of the Home Minister, Defence Minister Rajnath was waving his head, and he must have felt responsible from inside. 'But the Home Minister was laughing. He was laughing,' she stated. Vadra said that the Prime Minister wanted to take credit for Operation Sindoor. 'He takes credit for Olympic medals too. But leadership is not just about taking credit, responsibility too has to be taken. It happened for the first time in the history of the country that a war stopped suddenly and it was announced not by our Army but by the US President. This is the biggest example of our Prime Minister's irresponsibility.' Vadra also questioned how and why the attack happened in Pahalgam on April 22. She said that for some time, the government was publicising that terrorism was finished in Kashmir and there was peace, and the Prime Minister, in his speeches, asked people to travel to Kashmir and buy land there. Vadra mentioned the name of one of the deceased in the attack, Shubham Dwivedi of Kanpur, and quoted his wife as saying that for nearly one hour, when the terrorists were killing tourists, she did not see a single security personnel or a single soldier. Quoting Shubham's wife, Vadra said, there was not a single guard there and 'desh ne, sarkar ne hame wahan anaath chod diya tha (the country and the government had left us there like orphans)'. 'Why were security and soldiers not there? Was the government not aware that tourists visit there every day and they travel through forests? There was no arrangement for medical facility or first aid. They were left in the responsibility (bharose) of God. They went there trusting this government, and this government left them in the hands of God. 'I want to ask who was responsible for the security of the country's citizens. Is it not the Prime Minister?…Home Minister, Defence Minister, NSA?' Vadra added. The Congress leader said the terror outfit The Resistance Front (TRF) took responsibility for the attack. 'Who is TRF? This TRF was formed in 2019. It started terrorist activities in Kashmir in 2020, and from April 2020 to April 22, 2025, they conducted 25 terror attacks… TRF killed 41 security and Army personnel, killed 27 civilians and injured 54 other people. But the Indian government gave TRF the status of terror outfit in 2023, after three years. For three years, they kept doing terrorist activities. What was the reason for the delay? The government was aware of all that,' she said. Vadra questioned why the government did not have a single agency that could find that such an attack was going to happen and its planning was being done in Pakistan. 'Is it the failure of our agencies or not? This is a very big failure. This is an output which killed innocent people and policemen, and you were not keeping a watch on them. Who will take responsibility for these agencies?' she said. Vadra also asked if the Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief or anyone resigned after the terror attack? 'IB comes under the Home Minister. Did the Home Minister resign? Forget resignation, did he take responsibility?' If the objective of Operation Sindoor was to teach Pakistan a lesson, then that objective is probably still incomplete because India's diplomacy has failed, she added. Vadra said that the current government avoids responding to questions and said it amounted to 'rajeneetik kayarta (political cowardice)'. Before concluding her speech, Vadra read out the names of those killed in the Pahalgam attack. As several members of the Treasury benches said they were Hindus, she responded by saying that they were Indians. Lalmani is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, and is based in New Delhi. He covers politics of the Hindi Heartland, tracking BJP, Samajwadi Party, BSP, RLD and other parties based in UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Covered the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024; Assembly polls of 2012, 2017 and 2022 in UP along with government affairs in UP and Uttarakhand. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Priyanka hits back at Amit Shah over remarks on Sonia's reaction to Batla House
New Delhi: Congress member of Parliament (MP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday hit back at Union home minister Amit Shah's remarks on Sonia Gandhi's reaction to the 2008 Batla House encounter, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of weaponising grief while evading accountability for its own security failures. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra speaks in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. (Video grab / SansadTV) Addressing the treasury benches in the Lok Sabha, Vadra said, 'My mother's tears were not for terrorists, they fell when my father was killed by them. Today, when I talk about the 26 people killed in Pahalgam, it's because I know the pain. This is not a golden crown, this is a crown of thorns.' Earlier, Shah had cited former Union minister Salman Khurshid's televised comments following the Batla House encounter and said, 'He (Khurshid) said Sonia Gandhi broke down after seeing the encounter photos. If anyone deserved tears, it was inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and not the terrorists. It's shameful.' Vadra further said, 'Yesterday, the defence minister spoke for over an hour. He gave a history lecture, spoke of terrorism and national security. But one question remained unanswered: How did this attack happen?' She went on to ask: 'Why was not even one security personnel present in Baisaran Valley when the terrorists struck? What were they [the terrorists] doing there? And if the government was promoting Kashmir as safe, why were 26 civilians left to die without any protection?' While Vadra read out the names of the victims killed in the Pahalgam attack, chants of 'Hindu, Hindu' rang out from some BJP MPs, prompting counter-slogans from the Opposition benches- 'Indian! Indian!' 'Those 26 civilians went to Baisaran on this government's responsibility. But the government left them to God's responsibility,' Vadra said. 'The TRF [The Resistance Front], which carried out the attack, was formed in 2019. Since then, they have killed Army officials, police personnel, and civilians. They were only designated as a terror outfit in 2023. What were intelligence and security agencies doing? Has even one official resigned for this security lapse?' She also took on BJP MPs who interrupted her by invoking Jawaharlal Nehru. 'You talk about the past, we talk about the present. You've been in power for 11 years — take some responsibility,' she said. 'After 26/11, the Maharashtra chief minister and home minister resigned. All the terrorists were killed on the spot. This government takes all the credit, but refuses to take any blame.' Her remarks came amid a heated debate on Operation Sindoor. The Opposition argued that instead of optics, the focus should be on accountability for the lapse in security. 'If Pakistan had no resort apart from surrender, why did this war stop?' Vadra asked, questioning the terms of the current ceasefire. 'Why was the ceasefire announced by the US President? You claim muscular nationalism but fall silent when asked who failed to protect Indian civilians on Indian soil.' Throughout the session, several Opposition MPs backed Vadra by thumping their desks, while BJP MPs attempted to shout her down. 'The government doesn't want to answer any questions,' Vadra said. 'It's all about publicity, not people. Every crisis becomes a stage for PR. But where is the accountability? Where is the responsibility?' she asked. Responding to Vadra later on in the debate, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey defended the government's right to invoke and criticise Jawaharlal Nehru. 'Nehru may be your grandfather but as the first Prime Minister of the country, I have the right to criticise him and his policies,' he said.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Proceeds of crime in Vadra land deal used to acquire property, ED tells court
NEW DELHI: It's a 'clear and classic case of money laundering' as proceeds of crime were used to acquire immovable properties, ED on Thursday told a Delhi court while making preliminary submissions on its chargesheet in the case linked to a land deal in Shikohpur village in Gurgaon involving Robert Vadra , husband of Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The agency was arguing before special judge Sushant Chagotra of Rouse Avenue courts on the point of issuance of notice to Vadra and other accused in the case. The court reserved its order on notice for July 31. ED, which recently filed a chargesheet against Vadra and others in the case, submitted that the evidence conclusively established that the offence is of money laundering, where proceeds of crime are generated, layered and enjoyed. The agency said they had shown funds flow, property and statements of witnesses. The land deal in question was executed in Feb 2008, when a Congress govt led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda was at the helm in Haryana. Special counsel Zoheb Hosain, who appeared for ED through video-conferencing, submitted that the investigation found false declarations were made in the land deal. Skylight Hospitality, a firm in which Vadra held 99% shares, purchased land measuring 3.5 acres worth crores of rupees. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Great news for Filipinos! Read More The sale deed falsely declared that Rs 7.5 crore had been paid, when in reality no payment was made as the cheque was never cashed. The money was paid at a later stage to avoid stamp duty, and this was corroborated by key witnesses, the counsel submitted. The land was later sold to DLF for a higher amount, and this aspect was still being scrutinised, ED told the court. The central probe agency further argued that money laundering and enjoyment of proceeds of crime continued even today. The ED chargesheet, filed on July 17, names 11 individuals and entities as accused, including Vadra, his company Skylight Hospitality, Onkareshwar Properties — which sold the land to Vadra's firm — and its promoters/directors Satyanand Yajee & K S Virk.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Land deal cancellation was illegally revoked by ex-Haryana CM Hooda: ED to Court
Haryana's former Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda 'illegally' revoked the cancellation of a land deal in Shikohpur, Gurugram, which was carried out in 2008 in favour of Robert Vadra, alleged the Enforcement Directorate before a Delhi court on Thursday. 'The mutation was cancelled by the then Director General of Land Consolidation and Land records-cum-Inspector-General of Registration of Haryana (IAS Ashok Khemka)… the cancellation was revoked illegally by Haryana's CM,' said ED's Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain before the court of Special Judge Sushant Changotra. The deal being mentioned here was the purchase of 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur from Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore in 2008 and selling the land to DLF four years later for Rs 58 crore by a company named Skylight Hospitality, whose director was Vadra. 'There were irregularities such as false declarations. This company had no capacity to pay. It had only Rs 1 lakh in its capital… the actual payment was made later leading to evasion of stamp duty,' Hossain, who was accompanied by ED's Special Public Prosecutor NK Matta, argued. The ED was arguing on its chargesheet, which was filed last Thursday against Vadra and 10 others (eight companies and two persons). The chargesheet was filed a day after the agency attached 43 immovable properties linked to Vadra, Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd and others. 'The seller never encashed the cheque. The buyer didn't have the capacity to buy. The government was cheated of revenues and stamp duties worth `45 lakh were evaded,' Hossain said. 'The real transaction was 15 crores, not 7.5 crores… all the proceeds of crime flowed to companies owned by Vadra,' he added. According to sources, the ED's chargesheet alleged that the sale deed 'falsely' stated that the payment was received via cheque, which was actually never encashed. The chargesheet also states, as per sources, that the stamp duty worth `45 lakh was evaded via misdeclaration. The ED has quantified the total proceeds of crime to be worth Rs 58 crore tentatively. The chargesheet claims that there was pressure on Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) officials from higher authorities to accelerate the process, say sources. 'All pvt. ltd. companies were converted into LLPs (limited liability partnerships) …as the former have more disclosure requirements,' Hossain argued before the Court. The matter will now be heard on July 31 and the ED will outline the individual roles of all the accused persons in the case. After the ED has concluded its arguments, the Judge is likely to decide whether to take cognizance of the chargesheet or not.
