RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha delivered a compelling critique in Parliament on July 30, addressing the government's handling of 'Operation Sindoor' and its response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Jha's speech was a call for accountability, urging the government to distinguish itself from the nation and avoid politicizing the valor of the Indian armed forces. His address in the Rajya Sabha was marked by a strong disapproval of the government's narrative that Pakistan did not inflict any damage on Indian assets during the operation. He highlighted the loss of lives during the cross-border firing in Jammu and Kashmir, which coincided with 'Operation Sindoor.'
"The Pahalgam attack was not just the personal pain to the families of the victims but also the collective pain of the entire nation. It's time for the Parliament to apologize to the public for all the terror incidents — be it Uri or Pahalgam," Jha stated.
Jha condemned the government's repeated claims that Pakistan was unable to harm any Indian assets, questioning the erasure of sacrifice and loss. "The NSA had said that India did not even lose a piece of glass. I would like to ask — are the people of Poonch and Rajouri less than a piece of glass? Why did he not mention the lives lost?" he asked.
The MP also criticized the government's lack of transparency, citing reports that intelligence agencies had prior information about the attack. "If this is true, then what actions were taken? We are clueless about it to date. National security is not just sloganeering but also a responsibility," he said. Jha stressed that national unity in the face of tragedy must not be exploited to shield the government from accountability.
"It is the beauty of this country that whatever problems or disasters come, the entire nation starts to think likewise. However, this national unity in the time of grief should not become a shield to protect the government from valid criticism," he added.
Criticism of government's communication and strategy
Drawing a distinction between the Indian armed forces and political discourse, Jha remarked, "Just like Milind said yesterday, every nation has an army; the Pakistani Army has a nation. The beauty of our Army is that they don't wear any religion or ideology. On their sleeves and in their hearts, everywhere there is the Tricolour. This is the approach that we should also follow." Jha also addressed a controversial BJP social media post made after the Pahalgam attack.
"When Pahalgam happened, an X handle posted, 'Unhone dharam poocha, jaati nahi (They asked about the victims' religion, not caste).' We lost people, but after that tweet, even Bharat Mata got hurt. The terrorists wanted this to happen because there was hate in every bullet. However, the soil of our country did not allow the hate to affect the countrymen."
He praised the unity and resilience shown by citizens, stating, "They (terrorists) failed. India gave a lesson by sending Sofiya Qureshi and Vyomika Singh, who came for briefings and filled our hearts with pride. That is our India. We want that India. They cannot divide India on the terms of religion."
In his critique, Jha slammed the ruling party for comparing terrorism incidents under the Modi government with those under the UPA. "I am seeing people say that in our tenure the number reduced, earlier it was more. I would like to say, humans are not numbers; you cannot send them to the archives, saying this person died. The person is not just a number. People lost their children. No one can fill the vacuum created by the loss of life."
He further criticized the notion of moving on quickly after such attacks, stating, "It is not right for business to go as usual from the next day. Today, an attack happened, let's forget it tomorrow? What will we do by playing politics over the valour of our forces? We have proper issues to discuss for politics, but not the valour of the forces." Jha also took aim at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks in the Lok Sabha and questioned the government's communication strategy.
"Rajnath Singh yesterday said that he has come to present India's stance. In 'Operation Sindoor' outreach, leaders from several political outfits went to present India's stance on the global front. This is India's Parliament; you should have presented the government's stance here. We had questions from the government, not from India or its forces. Government is not synonymous with the nation. Parties will be lost and others will come, but let the country remain (Desh rehne dijiye)," he said.
