New Delhi: A significant portion of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s impassioned address in the Lok Sabha on Monday was expunged from official records, following a scathing critique of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government’s handling of the recent Pahalgam terror attack during the ongoing Operation Sindoor debate. The dramatic move has ignited a fresh political firestorm, further escalating tensions between the ruling National Democratic Alliance and the opposition.
During the two-day discussion on Operation Sindoor, Gandhi launched a no-holds-barred attack, accusing the NDA government of leveraging the military operation as a mere public relations exercise to bolster the Prime Minister’s image, rather than a genuine security initiative. In a particularly charged statement that drew immediate objections, Gandhi asserted that Prime Minister Modi was directly responsible for the security lapses leading to the Pahalgam tragedy, boldly declaring, “His hands are stained with the blood of those killed in Pahalgam.”
Gandhi also raised pertinent questions regarding the brevity of Operation Sindoor, probing, “Why did Operation Sindoor last only 22 minutes?” He challenged the Prime Minister’s perceived silence on alleged US involvement, demanding that PM Modi publicly denounce President Donald Trump for his persistent claims of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Further inflaming the debate, Gandhi accused Trump of a grave breach of diplomatic protocol by allegedly hosting Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir—whom Gandhi labelled the “mastermind” of the Pahalgam attack—for lunch. “The man behind Pahalgam is having lunch with Trump, and our Prime Minister is nowhere to be seen,” Gandhi alleged, intensifying his broadside.
The contentious remarks, including the graphic accusation against the Prime Minister, were subsequently removed from the parliamentary records under Rule 380 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha. This rule grants the Speaker the authority to expunge any unparliamentary or otherwise inappropriate statements.
The Congress party has swiftly come to Gandhi’s defence, framing his speech as a crucial act of political accountability. Conversely, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party vehemently protested the content and tone of Gandhi’s address, labelling his comments as “slanderous and disrespectful.” This latest episode underscores the widening chasm between the treasury and opposition benches, setting the stage for more intense legislative confrontations as both sides prepare for upcoming political battles against a backdrop of heightened internal security concerns.
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