BJP leader Baijayant Jay Panda on Monday mocked the Congress during the discussion in the Parliament on Operation Sindoor, stating that the party is not letting Shashi Tharoor open his mouth in the Lok Sabha.
Congress Not Allowing Good Speakers to Talk: Panda
Panda, while taking part in a special discussion on ‘India’s strong, successful and decisive Operation Sindoor in the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam’, accused some Congress leaders who can speak well of not being permitted to speak by the party.
“There are several leaders in your (Congress) party who can speak well… My friend Shashi Tharoor Ji, who is a good speaker, is not allowed to speak by his party,” the BJP leader said, according to PTI.
Tharoor Observes ‘Maun Vrat’, Refuses to Speak
The BJP camp reaction follows hours after Tharoor informed journalists that he was sitting on a “maun vrat” while responding to a question if he would be addressing Parliament on Operation Sindoor.
The Congress had invited its Congress MP Shashi Tharoor if he wanted to address the debate, but the latter refused, sources were quoted as saying by PTI.
Speculations of Rift Between Tharoor and Congress
There were rumors of Tharoor and the Congress being at odds, particularly in the wake of the Congress MP being a member of the Operation Sindoor delegation, where he uttered many comments to which criticism was met by a section of party leaders.
Meanwhile, Panda stated that the strategy of the Congress governments in the past was to only enhance cooperation with Pakistan and not to retaliate and give them a lesson.
He stated that Operation Sindoor was an attack on terrorists in Pakistan, and not civilians.
BJP Defends Modi’s Strong Response
“This is not a reaction, this is Modi’s doctrine, which Pakistan has understood… This is a new normal,” Panda said, adding that it is shameful that the opposition only questions the Indian armed forces and not Pakistan.
He also blamed the earlier Congress governments of appeasing Pakistan rather than taking retaliatory measures.
