During the ongoing Operation Sindoor debate in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a fierce counterattack on the Opposition, specifically targeting the Congress Party and its leadership. Addressing the House, Shah demanded answers from Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, asking him to enumerate the actions taken by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) during its tenure against terrorism.

Shah’s remarks came in response to Congress's persistent criticism of the government’s handling of recent terror attacks, including the one in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir. Raising the issue of the Batla House encounter, Shah said that during the UPA’s six-year rule, over 25 major terror attacks occurred, resulting in the deaths of nearly 1,000 people, yet the government "did not do anything" in response.

“There were 27 big attacks between 2005 and 2011. Around 1,000 people were killed. What did you do? I challenge Rahul Gandhi to stand in the House and tell the people what action they took. They did not do anything,” said Shah.

He further said that the Congress Party has no moral right to question the present government on national security and counterterrorism, especially given its past record.

Sonia Gandhi’s Name Resurfaces

Amit Shah did not stop at questioning Rahul Gandhi. He invoked Sonia Gandhi’s emotional reaction to the 2008 Batla House encounter, referring to Congress leader Salman Khurshid’s remarks that Sonia Gandhi cried after seeing the pictures of the encounter.

“I saw Salman Khurshid crying on TV. He said that Sonia Gandhi cried after seeing the pictures of the Batla House encounter. If she had to cry, she should have cried for Shaheed Mohan Chand Sharma, not for the terrorists. And they ask us what we have done?”

Mohan Chand Sharma, a decorated Delhi Police inspector, was martyred during the encounter in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, in 2008. Shah said such misplaced sympathies raise serious questions about the Congress’s stance on terrorism.

Modi Govt vs UPA: The Security Narrative

Responding to the Opposition’s jibe that three major terror incidents also occurred during the Modi government, Shah asserted a clear difference between the two tenures.

“They said attacks happened in our tenure too. I want to tell them the difference. Whatever attacks took place during our tenure were Kashmir-centric. Not a single incident occurred in the rest of the country,” Shah said.

According to Shah, this was evidence of the success of Modi’s national security doctrine. He claimed that terrorism in Kashmir is now so suppressed that Pakistan is being forced to send terrorists from across the border as local terrorism has dried up.

“This is the Modi government. Even in Kashmir, they have to send terrorists from Pakistan now. Terrorists are no longer found in Kashmir, unlike earlier,” he said.

Operation Sindoor Debate: Political Heat

The Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament has triggered a storm, with the BJP and Congress trading sharp accusations. Earlier in the day, Priyanka Gandhi had questioned why the operation was abruptly halted after the Pahalgam terror incident. She accused the Modi government of failing to protect civilians and demanded accountability.

Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge in the Rajya Sabha, have criticised the Centre for inaction and intelligence failure, while asserting that the attackers must be eliminated without delay. Shah’s speech appears to be a response to that narrative, turning the spotlight back on the Congress-era failures.

Political Implications

Amit Shah’s direct challenge to Rahul Gandhi is a strategic move aimed at:

• Forcing Congress to defend its own record instead of only attacking the government

• Framing BJP as the party of decisive action on national security

• Reinforcing the image of Modi's government as tough on terror

The Batla House encounter has long remained a sensitive political subject, with Congress often accused of soft-pedalling on national security. Shah’s reminder of Sonia Gandhi’s emotional response was clearly meant to delegitimise Congress’s current critique of the Modi government.

A Recap of Batla House and UPA’s Anti-Terror Record

The Batla House encounter took place on September 19, 2008, just days after serial blasts in Delhi. The Delhi Police’s Special Cell tracked the Indian Mujahideen operatives believed to be behind the attacks. The operation ended with the death of Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and two suspected terrorists.

Congress leaders, notably Salman Khurshid, publicly acknowledged that Sonia Gandhi was disturbed by the encounter images, which drew criticism from political opponents. The incident became a symbol of the UPA’s complex stance on internal security, often seen as conflicted or reluctant to take firm positions.

Shah’s speech revives this controversy, suggesting that such ambiguity emboldened terror networks and undermined public confidence.

BJP’s Positioning

With his speech, Shah has made the security narrative central to BJP’s defence in Parliament. By drawing comparisons between the UPA and NDA eras, he painted a stark contrast in their approach to terrorism. His assertion that terror attacks are now limited to Kashmir—and even there are on the decline—aims to reinforce BJP’s claims of robust governance.

Shah’s framing of Congress leaders sympathising with terrorists is designed to appeal to the nationalist base and put the Opposition on the back foot. The repeated references to Sonia Gandhi’s emotions and Rahul Gandhi’s silence are part of a broader political strategy to discredit Congress’s credibility on national security.

The Upcoming IPOs in this week and coming weeks are Highway Infrastructure, Flysbs Aviation, Part Electricals & Engineering, Jyoti Global Plast, M&B Engineering, Cash Ur Drive Marketing, Renol Polychem, Jyoti Global Plast, Takyon Networks, Mehul Colours, Sri Lotus Developers & Realty, Jyoti Global Plast, B.D. Industries (Pune), NSDL.

The Current active IPO are Aditya Infotech, Lakshmi India Finance, Kaytex Fabrics, Umiya Mobile, Repono, Shree Refrigerations, Sellowrap Industries, Shanti Gold International, Patel Chem Specialities.

Start your Stock Market Journey and Apply in IPO by Opening Free Demat Account in Choice Broking FinX.

Join our Trading with CA Abhay Telegram Channel for regular Stock Market Trading and Investment Calls by CA Abhay Varn - SEBI Registered Research Analyst.