Congress’s trust run by Pakistan’s remote control: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Congress during a debate in the Lok Sabha on Operation Sindoor, saying the party’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack echoed Pakistan’s narrative.

“Congress’s trust is being run by Pakistan’s remote control,” PM Modi said, referring to statements made by some Congress leaders who allegedly called the operation a “farce.”

The Prime Minister said the Opposition had consistently questioned the armed forces and pointed to the party’s past approach, saying that Congress had never officially recognised Kargil Vijay Diwas.

The PM also referred to the Doklam standoff and suggested that some leaders from the Opposition were receiving inputs from outside India. “Compare their statements with those from Pakistan—you’ll find the same punctuation,” he said.

PM Modi criticised the Congress for demanding proof that the Pahalgam attackers were Pakistani nationals, calling it a line of questioning that mirrors Pakistan’s own stance. “Even when evidence is abundant, they ask for proof. What would they have done if there were none?” he said.

Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. PM Modi said that Pakistan had fired close to 1,000 missiles during the conflict. “Had those missiles landed, the destruction would have been unimaginable. But our air defence system intercepted them mid-air,” he said, adding that the success of the operation reflected India’s growing defence capabilities.

The Prime Minister also referred to reports related to the Adampur airbase and alleged that misinformation had been spread. “It was as if they were waiting for me to fail. I went to Adampur the very next day and exposed their lies,” he said.

PM Modi drew parallels with the Balakot airstrikes and said that even then, questions were raised about their impact. “Pakistan said the same thing—show us the photos, count the bodies,” he said.

Recalling the return of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in 2019, the Prime Minister said similar doubts were raised about the government’s response. “They whispered that Modi was trapped. But Abhinandan returned with honour and pride,” he said. “Even after Pahalgam, when a BSF soldier was captured, they thought they had another opportunity. But he too returned with dignity.”