‘Weakened anti-terror fight’: PM Modi invokes Chidambaram to attack Congress over 26/11 attacks
PM Modi said the Congress-led UPA government weakened the fight against terror, because of which the country paid a heavy price.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invoked P Chidambaram's remarks on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to attack the Congress, accusing it of weakening the fight against terrorism when in power.
While speaking in Mumbai, PM Modi said the Congress succumbed to international pressure in deciding not to take retaliatory action against Pakistan. He was in the Maharashtra capital, where he inaugurated the first phase of the Navi Mumbai International Airport, the Aqua Line of Mumbai metro and other projects.
PM Modi said the Congress-led UPA government weakened the fight against terror, because of which the country paid a heavy price.
"A Congress leader, who has also been Union home minister, has said that a country prevented India's military retaliation post-26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. The party should clarify,” Modi said while addressing the gathering.
He was referring to Chidambaram's recent remark that while India was ready for retaliation against Pakistan after the Mumbai terror attack, it decided not to after pressure from global community.
The Congress-led UPA government was in power when Mumbai witnessed one of the worst terror attacks, carried out by Pakistan-based Laskhar-e-Toiba terror outfit in 2008.
Attacking the Congress over the attack, PM Modi emphasised that Mumbai has always been the country's financial capital and a vibrant city, making it prone to terror attacks.
"It is because of this feature of the city that terrorists targeted it in 2008. If a top Congress leader, who has been a Union minister, is to be believed, the then UPA government buckled under pressure of a foreign country against attacking Pakistan even though our defence forces were ready and the mood of the nation was to strike (the neighbouring country)," Modi further said.
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During the Mumbai terror attacks, 10 heavily armed terrorists from Pakistan launched a terror strike in Mumbai in November 2008, leaving 166 people dead and over 300 injured.
Modi also questioned that the nation has the right to know who stopped India from going ahead with a military retaliation after the 26/11 attacks.
“The Congress had weakened the fight against terror and compromised on national security due to which India has had to pay a heavy price and suffer a huge loss of lives,” Modi said.
In contrast, the Prime Minister referred to India's Operation Sindoor, where the armed forces gave a befitting response to terrorists by entering the home of enemies.
“For us, nothing is more important than the safety and security of our nation and its citizens,” Modi added.
