BJP’s video accusing Congress of passivity on terror sparks row
The Congress on Saturday sought clarification from the BJP-led government after the ruling party accused the former UPA regime of “passivity” in responding to terror attacks from Pakistan. While the BJP hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking decisive action against Pakistan, the Congress hit back, questioning the timing and intent behind politicising national security.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have supported the government since 26 persons were killed in a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22. Nearly two weeks later, India launched “Operation Sindoor” to avenge the attack, claiming to have struck nine terror targets inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). This came amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, followed by an announcement from US President Donald Trump that both countries had agreed to a “full and immediate ceasefire”.
In the days leading up to the ceasefire, India had responded to repeated drone incursions from Pakistan by shooting them down using air defence systems.
On social media platform X, the BJP posted a short video clip with the message: “The message to the enemies is loud and clear. Don’t mess with us. Unlike the UPA regime’s passivity. New India has no patience for futile peace talks,” accompanied by the hashtag #OperationSindoor.
The video begins with English pop music ‘30 years of pain’ and references the 2005 Delhi blasts with the caption “62+ dead”. A picture of PM Modi then appears, overlaid with the text: “To send every terrorist to hell”. In contrast, a photograph of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is shown with the word “Peace talks”. The video continues by referencing the 2006 Mumbai train blasts then mentioning 2007 peace talks, and the 2008 Mumbai attacks (“166+ dead”), with a caption reading: “No retaliation, no lesson taught”. It also cites the 2010 Pune attacks, 2011 Delhi attacks and 2013 Hyderabad blasts, each followed by mentions of peace talks. The soundtrack shifts to Hindi as another image of Modi appears with the message: “No more talks. No more peace with a terror-supporting nation. He is on a mission.”
Reacting sharply, Congress spokesperson and media department head Pawan Khera said, “Is this the time to do politics? Doesn’t the government need the opposition’s support? Shouldn’t we be sending a message of unity? The government and BJP must clarify.”
Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor called the BJP’s video a “petty attempt” to create division.
“At a time when the nation stands united, this petty attempt to divide us politically is deplorable. Our government learnt the futility of past approaches the hard way — such as when it invited Pakistan to investigate the Pathankot terror attack in 2016. Only after that did it pursue military responses, maturely and carefully calibrated. This video is neither appropriate nor mature. Delete it, please,” Tharoor wrote on X.
