Union Home Minister Amit Shah, speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on Operation Sindoor, launched a scathing attack on the Congress party, blaming it for a series of historical decisions that he said had long-term strategic consequences for India’s national security.
Shah declared that “Pakistan is Congress’s mistake,” asserting that the party’s acceptance of partition in 1947 directly led to the creation of Pakistan. He also held former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru responsible for the continued existence of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), blaming Nehru’s unilateral ceasefire in 1948 at a time when Indian forces, according to Shah, were in a position to reclaim the entire region.
Criticizing the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty signed by Nehru, Shah said the agreement gave away 80% of India’s river waters to Pakistan—something the current government has now suspended in retaliation for cross-border terror attacks. “These waters will now be diverted for our own farmers,” Shah affirmed.
Reflecting on the aftermath of India’s 1971 war victory and the creation of Bangladesh, Shah said India missed a “historic opportunity” to reclaim PoK during the Simla Agreement. He questioned why 15,000 sq km of captured territory and 93,000 Pakistani POWs were returned without resolving the Kashmir issue.
Shah also criticized Congress for repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in 2004, questioning whose interests were served by such a move. He linked the repeal to a spate of terrorist attacks during the UPA government, claiming over 1,000 lives were lost in 27 incidents between 2005 and 2011.
Taking aim at Nehru’s foreign policy, Shah alleged that India lost the chance to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council due to poor diplomatic decisions.