New Delhi, 28 July

In a blistering attack on the Centre, the Congress on Monday said Home Minister Amit Shah must take responsibility for the lapses that led to the Pahalgam attack and asked the government to clarify how many Indian jets were downed during Operation Sindoor.

Participating in the special debate on Pahalgam terror strikes and Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha, Congress' deputy leader in the House Gaurav Gogoi also slammed the government over US President Donald Trump's claim "26 times" that he used trade to bring about a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, and asked, "before whom did Prime Minister Narendra Modi surrender".

Gogoi said the prime minister had been stating post-Uri and after the Pulwama attack that "humne ghar mein ghus ke mara" and "we destroyed terror infrastructure", and he is making the same remarks now.

"They are still saying that Operation Sindoor is incomplete and Pakistan can do this again, then how is this a success? They themselves are saying our intention was not war, why was it not so? They say it was not to take territory, why was it not so? When will we take back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, if not today, then when? The most horrendous terror attacks have happened under your government," Gogoi said.

He said the opposition wanted to know from Modi that if Pakistan was ready to kneel before India, then "why did we stop and before whom did you surrender?".

"US President Trump has made the claim '26 times' that he used the threat of trade to bring a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. He says five to six jets have been downed. One jet is of crores and crores (of rupees) that is why we want to know from the defence minister, the country has the courage to listen to the truth, he must answer as to how many fighter jets were downed," Gogoi said.

"This information, this truth, is not just for Indian citizens; it is important for soldiers, they are also being lied to," he said.

Gogoi said there are just "35 Rafales in the country" and if some have been downed, he thinks "it is a big loss".

Referring to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's speech earlier, Gogoi said he gave a lot of information, but did not say as the defence minister how terrorists came to Pahalgam.

"The country wants to know... 100 days have passed, but this government has not brought terrorists to justice," he said.

The home minister kept saying that the backbone of terrorism has been broken, but Uri, Balakot and Pahalgam still happened, he said.

"Who will take responsibility, the (J-K) LG? It is the home minister who must take responsibility. You cannot hide behind the LG. This government is such a coward and is so weak that they blamed even the tour operators for the Pahalgam attack," Gogoi said.

The security framework and those who make decisions have become arrogant, and they behave as if nobody can question them. "But we will question them" on the lapses, the Congress leader said.

"When the PM returned from Saudi Arabia, he should have gone to Pahalgam, but he went to a political programme in Bihar," Gogoi said, evoking strong opposition from the treasury benches and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asking him to stick to facts.

"If anybody went to Pahalgam, it was our leader Rahul Gandhi. If someone is asking for martyr status for the people who were killed, it is our leader, Rahul Gandhi," Gogoi said.