New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a sharp attack on the government, accusing it of lacking political will and “informing Pakistan” ahead of the armed response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Speaking during a debate on Operation Sindoor, Gandhi reiterated his earlier “surrender” remark, suggesting that the Centre’s actions were not backed by full strategic intent.
“A brutal, heartless attack was carried out in Pahalgam, clearly organised and orchestrated by the Pakistani state,” Gandhi said, referring to the April 22 terror assault in Jammu and Kashmir that left 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese man dead. “Young people, old people were murdered in cold blood. Every person in this House condemned Pakistan,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi underlined that the Opposition, particularly parties in the INDIA bloc, extended full support to the government and the armed forces during the national crisis. “Even before Operation Sindoor began, all Opposition parties committed to standing like a rock with the Forces and the elected government of India,” he said. “Despite jibes and sarcasm from some government leaders, we said absolutely nothing. That was a decision made unanimously by the INDIA bloc leadership, and we are proud of it.”
However, Gandhi used the opportunity to question the leadership’s resolve. Drawing a metaphor from the battlefield, he said: “Whenever I meet an army jawan, I see a tiger — ready to fight for the country. But a tiger needs freedom. You cannot tie down a tiger and expect it to perform. There are two key elements: political will and operational freedom. If you want to use the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, you must have 100% political will.”
Taking the criticism further, Gandhi alleged that the Indian government had effectively “informed Pakistan” before the launch of Operation Sindoor. “This is not how political will works. You told them in advance. That’s not strength — that’s surrender,” he said, echoing the phrase he used earlier that drew strong rebuttals from BJP MPs and Union ministers.
