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Priyanka hits back at Amit Shah over remarks on Sonia’s reaction to Batla House
‘My mother’s tears were not for terrorists, they fell when my father was killed by them,’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said
New Delhi: Congress member of Parliament (MP) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday hit back at Union home minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Sonia Gandhi’s reaction to the 2008 Batla House encounter, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of weaponising grief while evading accountability for its own security failures.
Addressing the treasury benches in the Lok Sabha, Vadra said, “My mother’s tears were not for terrorists, they fell when my father was killed by them. Today, when I talk about the 26 people killed in Pahalgam, it’s because I know the pain. This is not a golden crown, this is a crown of thorns.”
Earlier, Shah had cited former Union minister Salman Khurshid’s televised comments following the Batla House encounter and said, “He (Khurshid) said Sonia Gandhi broke down after seeing the encounter photos. If anyone deserved tears, it was inspector Mohan Chand Sharma and not the terrorists. It’s shameful.”
Vadra further said, “Yesterday, the defence minister spoke for over an hour. He gave a history lecture, spoke of terrorism and national security. But one question remained unanswered: How did this attack happen?”
She went on to ask: “Why was not even one security personnel present in Baisaran Valley when the terrorists struck? What were they [the terrorists] doing there? And if the government was promoting Kashmir as safe, why were 26 civilians left to die without any protection?”
While Vadra read out the names of the victims killed in the Pahalgam attack, chants of “Hindu, Hindu” rang out from some BJP MPs, prompting counter-slogans from the Opposition benches- “Indian! Indian!”
“Those 26 civilians went to Baisaran on this government’s responsibility. But the government left them to God’s responsibility,” Vadra said. “The TRF [The Resistance Front], which carried out the attack, was formed in 2019. Since then, they have killed Army officials, police personnel, and civilians. They were only designated as a terror outfit in 2023. What were intelligence and security agencies doing? Has even one official resigned for this security lapse?”
She also took on BJP MPs who interrupted her by invoking Jawaharlal Nehru. “You talk about the past, we talk about the present. You’ve been in power for 11 years — take some responsibility,” she said. “After 26/11, the Maharashtra chief minister and home minister resigned. All the terrorists were killed on the spot. This government takes all the credit, but refuses to take any blame.”
Her remarks came amid a heated debate on Operation Sindoor. The Opposition argued that instead of optics, the focus should be on accountability for the lapse in security.
“If Pakistan had no resort apart from surrender, why did this war stop?” Vadra asked, questioning the terms of the current ceasefire. “Why was the ceasefire announced by the US President? You claim muscular nationalism but fall silent when asked who failed to protect Indian civilians on Indian soil.”
Throughout the session, several Opposition MPs backed Vadra by thumping their desks, while BJP MPs attempted to shout her down.
“The government doesn’t want to answer any questions,” Vadra said. “It’s all about publicity, not people. Every crisis becomes a stage for PR. But where is the accountability? Where is the responsibility?” she asked.
Responding to Vadra later on in the debate, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey defended the government’s right to invoke and criticise Jawaharlal Nehru. “Nehru may be your grandfather but as the first Prime Minister of the country, I have the right to criticise him and his policies,” he said.
