New Delhi [India], July 29 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday criticized Congress members for repeatedly interrupting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during his speech in the Lok Sabha and asserted that such behavior was a reason they would remain in the Opposition for the next two decades.
Without naming anyone specifically, Shah accused Congress leaders of lacking faith in India’s leadership and favoring foreign interests. “I object to the fact that they (the Opposition) don’t have faith in an Indian Foreign Minister but they have faith in some other country. I understand the importance of ‘foreign’ in their party, but that doesn’t mean their party’s policies should be imposed here in this House. That is why they are sitting in the Opposition today, and they will continue to sit there for the next 20 years,” Shah stated.
During the Lok Sabha discussion on Operation Sindoor, Shah called for protection from the Chair to ensure that Jaishankar could speak uninterrupted.
In his address, Jaishankar provided a point-by-point rebuttal to the concerns raised by the Congress and categorically denied any third-party mediation in India’s ceasefire with Pakistan.
“U.S. Vice President JD Vance called the Prime Minister, warning of a massive Pakistani attack in the next few hours. The Prime Minister, in his response, made it very clear that if such an attack happened, it would meet with an appropriate response from our side. That attack did take place and was foiled by our Armed Forces. I believe the House should collectively appreciate their performance in thwarting what was a massive attack on the 9th–10th of May,” he said.
Jaishankar continued, “Our promised response was delivered — and with devastating effect. I don’t need to elaborate; every member has seen the satellite images of Pakistani airfields. The condition of those airfields, visible in the photos, speaks for itself.”
He also clarified India’s diplomatic stance during the conflict. “On May 10, we received calls conveying that Pakistan was ready to cease fighting. Our position was clear — we needed a formal request from the Pakistani side through the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) channel. That is exactly how the request came,” he said.
Jaishankar emphasized two key points regarding India-U.S. relations during the period: “First, at no stage in any conversation with the United States was there any linkage between trade and the ongoing situation. Second, there was no communication between the Prime Minister and President Trump from April 22, when Trump called to convey his sympathy, to June 17, when he called the Prime Minister in Canada to explain why they could not meet.”
The speech highlighted India’s firm and independent approach to national security and foreign policy, drawing strong reactions from both sides of the aisle.
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