New Delhi [India], July 28 : Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi hit out at the BJP-led government on Monday over the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and said it has been over 100 days since the horrendous April 22 incident but the government "has not been able to catch those five terrorists" who carried out the terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
Participating in the debate on 'India's strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor in response to terrorist attack in Pahalgam' in Lok Sabha, Gogoi slammed the government for stopping Operation Sindoor after Pakistan capitulated and asked why did it not go further and reclaim the territory illegally occupied by the neighbouring country.
Gogoi spoke immediately after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who initiated the debate.
"It has been 100 days since the Pahalgam attack took place, but this Govt has not been able to catch those five terrorists... Today, you have drones, Pegasus, satellites, CRPF, BSF, CISF and the Defence Minister went there a few days ago, but still you are not able to catch them... It took almost one hour for an Ambulance to reach Baisaran, where the attack took place. The army came on foot. I cannot forget those visuals when a mother and her daughter saw an Indian soldier; they started crying. They thought the terrorist wearing the uniform of a soldier who killed people in Baisaran was waiting for them. That soldier had to say that he was an Indian, and you were safe... This is the kind of terror the people had there," Gogoi said.
The Congress leader also spoke of the repeated claims by US President Donald Trump that he brokered the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan.
"The entire country, and the Opposition, were supporting PM Modi. Suddenly, on 10th May, we got to know that there had been a ceasefire. Why? We wanted to know from PM Modi that if Pakistan was ready to kneel down, then why did you stop, and to whom did you surrender? The US President has said this 26 times that he forced India and Pakistan to announce a ceasefire," Gogoi said.
The Congress leader asked Rajnath Singh about the number of fighter jets India lost in the conflict with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, saying that soldiers should also get a true picture.
"We want to know from Rajnath Singh ji today how many of our fighter jets were downed. We have to tell this not just to the public but also to our jawans, as they are being lied to as well," he said.
He also asked Rajnath Singh how terrorists came from Pakistan and carried out the terrorist attack.
"Rajnath Singhji gave a lot of information, but as Defence Minister, he never mentioned how terrorists from Pakistan reached Pahalgam and killed 26 people..It is our duty to ask questions in the interest of the nation," Gogoi said.
India carried out Operation Sindoor in response to Pahalgam terror attack and carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK. India repelled subsequent Pakstani aggression and pounded its airbases.