BJP’s counter-attack came after Congress fielded former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde to question the government over the Pathankot operation.
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“They should realize that it has gone wrong and resignations should happen”. Demanding resignations and action against home and defence ministers, he alleged the government had no system in place to protect the nation. He also held a press conference in Mumbai amid the 26/11 attacks and criticised then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Shinde also said that whenever there was a Bharatiya Janata Party government at the centre, instances of terrorism go up.
He also said that the NDA government should send a clear signal to Pakistan that terrorist attacks will not be tolerated.
Shinde brought up the release of terrorists by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in Kandahar.
“Why was Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) not called immediately by Prime Minister?”
“Many more attacks were carried out in the country after that – the Red Fort attack, attack on the J&K Assembly, the attack on Parliament”, he said. Mr Shinde said the release of the three terrorists later proved to be fatal for the country.
The Congress asked why the government had “shied away from calling the attackers Pakistani terrorists”. “Now he goes ahead and hugs Nawaz Sharif, what of that?”
Randeep Surjewala, the Congress’s communications chief, later said the responsibility lay with the political leadership.
They asked why the government has not lodged a protest with Pakistan government so far, and placed the matter before global fora to “expose and isolate Pakistan for aiding anti-India terror activities”.
“Only on the fifth day he took out time to visit Pathankot, made the most insensitive statement about six of the seven casualties suffered by the Armed forces being on account of bad luck, admitted gaps in security and issued a wishy-washy statement ordering an inquiry, rather than owning up responsibility and making full disclosure to the people”, Shinde said.
“In reply, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar chose to shift blame by saying Army can not do civil duty”.
“Why couldn’t the Akali Dal-BJP led Punjab government act on intelligence and operational input that it received at 3.34 a.m. on the night intervening December 31 and January 1?” the Congress leader asked.
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The Congress leaders said, “one is forced to wonder whether it is drug-linked terror and whether infiltrating terrorists used the same route, modus operandi and logistic support that drug traffickers use in active connivance with people in the administration of Punjab”.
