BJP national president and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda launched a scathing attack on the Opposition in the Parliament, saying that the nation lived in "darkness" during the previous Congress-led UPA regime in India.
He said while Pakistan pounded the nation with bullets, the Indian government back then was feeding them ‘Biryani’. Follow Parliament Monsoon Session Live Updates
Participating in the special debate on Operation Sindoor, JP Nadda listed the bombings and terror attacks that occurred under the UPA government and said that the administration took "no action".
"Delhi serial bomb blasts, 29th October 2005, occurred in Sarojini Nagar, Paharganj, and Govindpuri. The attack was carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba. How many people were killed? 67. How many were injured? 200. These blasts happened just before Diwali. Try to imagine the atmosphere at that time, and understand the insensitivity of the government then. No action was taken," he said in Rajya Sabha.
Nadda recounted the 2006 bomb blast at Varanasi's Sankat Mochan Temple and the railway station on March 7, saying that the attack by Harkat-ul-Jihad killed 28 people and injured 100 others. "Again, no action was taken," he added.
{{/usCountry}}Nadda recounted the 2006 bomb blast at Varanasi's Sankat Mochan Temple and the railway station on March 7, saying that the attack by Harkat-ul-Jihad killed 28 people and injured 100 others. "Again, no action was taken," he added.
{{/usCountry}}"The Mumbai train bomb blasts followed on 11th July 2006. Indian Mujahideen, in coordination with Lashkar-e-Taiba, carried out the attack. How many people were killed? 209. And 700 were injured," Nadda said.
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He said that the then government went on to form a joint anti-terrorism mechanism after these attacks, meant to develop a state policy against terror. "But what happened? The first meeting took place two months later, and the second, seven months after that. No meaningful action was taken. Even as terror attacks continued, trade with Pakistan went on. Tourism continued. Telecommunications were not disrupted. Agricultural exchanges carried on. Talks with Pakistan were still being held," the Union minister said in Rajya Sabha.
Nadda also recalled the serial bomb blast that was carried out by Harkat-ul-Jihad in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur in 2007, and which killed 11 people. He said that the same year, serial blasts also took place in Lucknow, Ayodhya, and Varanasi, again.
‘Hum unko biryani khilane chale…’
Despite these acts of terror, Nadda said, the then government permitted goods carriers to cross both sides of the Wagah and Attari borders.
"Yeh, main isliye aapko ye yaad dilana chahara hu, kyunki aapko poornmasi tab samajh mein aayegi, jab aap amavasya ke dino ko jaanenge. (I'm reminding you of these events because you can only appreciate the full moon when you’ve understood the darkness of the new moon)," he said in Rajya Sabha.
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Nadda also raked up the bomb blasts that the Indian Mujahideen carried out in Jaipur in 2008, saying that after that, India and Pakistan agreed on specific building measures.
"Woh hume goliyoon se bhunte rahe aur hum unko biryani khilane chale...They gave permission for a triple-entry permit to cross LoC," he added.
Nadda noted that at the 2009 Shangai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit as well, no mention of the bomb blasts was made.
He also cited a former defence minister, from the UPA regime, and quoted him, "India has a policy that the best defence is to not develop the borders. Undeveloped border is safer than developed border."
‘Average life of terrorists just 7 days now’
Following this, Nadda highlighted how under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, terror attacks was stopped in the country except in Jammu and Kashmir.
Citing the 2016 Uri surgical strikes, Nadda said that it was the first time after 1947 that the nation's Prime Minister went on record to say that perpetrators of the attack would not be spared.
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"And within 3 days, surgical strikes were conducted and terror launching pads were destroyed...This is the changing India...See the political will in comparison to those who said that we will see what to do," he added.
Nadda noted that in the last three years, the Kashmir Valley has not been closed even for a day. He said that local terrorism has ended in the valley, and only foreign terrorists remain. "The average life of a terrorist is only 7 days now. This is a result of zero tolerance towards terrorism."