Opposition keeps up attack on Govt, Manoj Jha says House must apologise
RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha said the Pahalgam attack showed that no lessons had been learnt from previous terror incidents and that it warranted an apology from MPs across party lines.
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RJD’s Manoj Jha speaks in Rajya Sabha, Wednesday. (PTI)From fixing accountability over the Pahalgam terror attack to clarification over US President Donald Trump’s claims of brokering truce between India and Pakistan, Opposition parties kept up their attack on the government as the special discussion on Op Sindoor continued in Rajya Sabha Wednesday.
RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha said the Pahalgam attack showed that no lessons had been learnt from previous terror incidents and that it warranted an apology from MPs across party lines.
Stating that the killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam on April 22 became “collective pain” of the country, Jha said: “Time has come for the entire House to apologise to the nation for all such incidents… We should say to the people that we are sorry, we do not learn from history… I am saying this for everyone, not one individual or party… It is said that there were intelligence inputs…if there were indications, what actions did they trigger?… we are clueless to this day…” Jha said.
Jha hailed the country’s “unified front” in the aftermath of Pahalgam, but cautioned it should not be utilised to “shield the government”. He also urged restoration of “full-fledged” statehood to J&K, underlining “an unprecedented change” in how the people there reacted to the Pahalgam attack. “Kashmir is not just a piece of land… the people of Kashmir have also laid down their lives… but they have a government which has responsibility without power…,” he said.
Jha also proposed a resolution condemning Trump for seeking credit for brokering the ceasefire. “Come clean, we are with you Honourable Prime Minister…” he said.
CPI (M)’s John Brittas said that for the government, a new normal meant “celebration of failure”. He asked why did the Union Home Minister not resign after Pahalgam if former home minister Shivraj Patil did so after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, when the UPA was in power. “Will history judge Shah as morally inferior to Shivraj Patil?” he asked.
On Trump, Brittas said: “We want our PM to say Trump is speaking rubbish… The moment you say, we will all support.”
Independent MP Kapil Sibal said India does not have “that many resources that we can destroy Pakistan,” which, he added, receives technological support from China. Sibal
said, “In October 2024, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh addressed the declining strength of the Indian Air Force squadrons, which had reached 31, the lowest since 1965.”
Sibal also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for not inviting J&K CM Omar Abdullah to a security review meeting before the Pahalgam attack.
Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena (UBT) demanded Shah quit. “The LG has accepted that there was a security lapse. Who is taking responsibility and who will resign… Pandit Nehru, J D Vance or Trump? The Home Minister has to resign,” he said.
TMC’s Susmita Dev asked why India abstained from the IMF meeting that approved a financial package to Pakistan. CPI’s Sandosh Kumar P urged the government to fill over 1 lakh vacant posts in the Army urgently.
In the later half of the discussion, Congress and TMC MPs demanded the PM address the House and staged a walkout.
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