'Army Needs Complete Freedom, Political Will Essential' : Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): During the discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' in Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi called the Pahalgam attack cruel and condemnable. He also targeted the government and claimed that the government had surrendered in just 30 minutes.
During the discussion on 'Operation Sindoor', Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha said, "There was a brutal and ruthless attack in Pahalgam, which was clearly organised and planned by the Pakistani government. Young and old people were brutally killed. Everyone present in this House condemned Pakistan in unison." Rahul Gandhi said, "The moment Operation Sindoor started, rather before it started, the opposition and all parties made a commitment that we will stand firmly with the army and the elected government of India. We heard some sarcastic comments from some of their leaders, but we did not say anything. This was something that all the senior leadership of the India Alliance agreed on. We are very proud that as an opposition we remained united, as we should have been."
He said, "After the Pahalgam attack, we went to the house of Narwal Sahab, whose son was in the Navy. We also met the victim families in Uttar Pradesh and Kashmir. We meet people regularly, and when you shake hands with someone, you understand that he is a tiger. Tigers have to be given freedom. The army has to be given complete freedom and for this political will is necessary." Referring to Sam Manekshaw, Rahul Gandhi said, "In 1971, Manekshaw had asked Indira Gandhi for six months for the operation, because he wanted to do the operation in summer. Indira Gandhi gave him complete freedom and time. In 1971, the then Prime Minister showed strong willpower without caring about America, as a result of which one lakh Pakistani soldiers surrendered. After this a new country was formed."
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, referring to the statement of the Defense Minister, said, "The government informed Pakistan at 1:35 am that we have attacked their terrorist bases and claimed that this step was not going to escalate tensions, but you surrendered to Pakistan in just 30 minutes, which sent a message that the government does not have the will to fight a war. The government has shackled the freedom of our pilots, which has curbed their ability."