Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 4: BJP national spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP Sambit Patra launched a fierce critique of the previous UPA government, accusing it of failing to show the political resolve necessary to retaliate following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, despite the Indian armed forces being fully capable and ready to respond. Patra charged that the Congress leadership compromised India’s sovereignty by succumbing to international—particularly US—pressure.

Reacting to former union minister P. Chidambaram’s recent admission that the UPA decided against a retaliatory strike due to diplomatic constraints, Patra highlighted a stark contrast between India before and after 2014. He emphasized that while the Indian Army was always courageous and competent, what was lacking during the UPA regime was decisive political will.

Patra pointed to Chidambaram’s claim that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice explicitly warned India against taking military action, pressuring then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Chidambaram to stand down. He also recalled Congress MP Manish Tewari’s acknowledgment of the intense foreign pressure that influenced the UPA’s preference for diplomacy over retaliation.

Directing his strongest allegations at the Gandhi family, Patra asserted that Sonia Gandhi illegally and unconstitutionally directed the government’s inaction, forcing India to “bow down” and offer shelter to Pakistan. He accused the Congress Party, under Sonia’s leadership and with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra, of consistently undermining the armed forces, including obstructing earlier surgical strikes and other military operations.

Patra further criticized Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai for expressing distrust in military leadership during discussions on Operation Sindoor, questioning the Congress party’s stance on national defense.

Concluding his remarks, Patra contrasted the present government’s firm and resolute approach with the hesitancy of the UPA era, asserting that India today is marked by both the courage of its armed forces and the political determination to act decisively, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.