Op Sindoor debate: Amit Shah hails Operation Mahadev in Rajya Sabha; INDIA bloc walk out over PM's absence

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah responded to the opposition's criticism of the government over the Pahalgam terrorist attack during the Operation Sindoor debate on Wednesday.

As Amit Shah rose to speak, the INDIA bloc staged a walkout from the Upper House, protesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's absence and saying they had expected him to respond.

Shah dismissed the protest, saying that the government had made it clear in the Business Advisory Council (BAC) that it would decide who would speak on its behalf.

"I know why these people (INDIA bloc) are walking out -- they're doing it because, for years, they did nothing to stop terrorism due to their vote bank politics... that’s why they can't even bear to listen to this debate," the Union home minister said.

On the Pahalgam terrorist attack

"In Pahalgam, our citizens were brutally killed, selected and shot after being asked their religion, right in front of their families. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives. Following Operation Sindoor, when Pakistan resorted to shelling, some civilians were also harmed. I want to express deep sympathy for the families of those affected as well," said Amit Shah.

On Operation Sindoor

• "We attacked their (Pakistan) terror camps, terror launching pads and terror training camps, but they (Pakistan) considered it as an attack on their country. As a response, on 8th May, Pakistan attacked residential areas in India and defence installations. On 9th May, India attacked and destroyed Pakistan's 11 defence installations and airbases...After this, Pakistan was not in a position to fight back," Amit Shah said.
• "They (Opposition leaders) are asking on whose request the ceasefire happened, it didn’t happen on anyone’s request. Pakistan, brought to its knees, called our Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) and pleaded to stop. From the very beginning, our intention was not war, nor did we want to harm the people of Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi immediately said that if Pakistan is willing to stop, then let it stop. But even now, Rahul Gandhi is trying to escalate the matter and questioning it... Some people even raised doubts about who exactly was killed," he added.

On Operation Mahadev

• "To the security forces behind Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev, who brought honour to India, I extend my heartfelt gratitude and salute their bravery. I also wish to convey my deep appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who showed the firm resolve to respond precisely in line with the wishes of 1.4 billion Indians. For this, I wholeheartedly commend him," the Union home minister said.
• "Under Operation Mahadev, our armed forces successfully killed three terrorists. Among them, Suleiman, a commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was identified as the individual who had opened fire during the Pahalgam attack. Hamza Afghani, also a commander of LeT, was another high-ranking operative eliminated during the operation. Additionally, Zibran, a senior terrorist associated with LeT, was among those killed. The evidence unequivocally points to Lashkar-e-Taiba's involvement in orchestrating the Pahalgam attack," Shah added.
• "During the security review meeting held after the Pahalgam attack, it was decided that the terrorists should be apprehended as quickly as possible. More critically, measures were taken to ensure they could not flee the country. As a result, 100 days after the attack, the perpetrators were located and neutralised," he added.
• "The Intelligence Bureau (IB) received information about the terrorists' location on May 22. Following that, the IB and military intelligence conducted further investigations. Around July 22, their precise location was identified. Three terrorists have been killed. I received several messages from across the country, especially from families of those who were killed, saying these terrorists should be shot in the head. Coincidentally, during the encounter, they were indeed shot in the head."

Attacks Chidambaram, criticises Congress-led UPA era

• "Chidambaram ji posed a question, asking what evidence existed to prove that the terrorists were Pakistani. He openly challenged the justification for Operation Sindoor. This raises a critical question: Whom was Chidambaram ji trying to protect, Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), or the terrorists themselves?" Shah asked.
• "Interestingly, the very day he raised this question, terrorists were neutralized, underscoring the urgency and necessity of such operations. Chidambaram ji's statements reflect the mindset of the Congress party , which seems willing, for the sake of votebank politics, to lean towards supporting Pakistan, shielding terror outfits like LeT, and offering rhetorical solace to terrorists," he said.
• "The people of this country are witnessing the mindset of the Congress party. Their priority is not national security , but politics. Their priority is not to eliminate terrorism, but to protect their vote bank. Their priority is not securing our borders, but indulging in appeasement politics," the Union home minister said.