'War wasn’t the goal? Then what was?” Gaurav grills Centre over Operation Sindoor

New Delhi, July 28: The Lok Sabha on Monday turned into a battleground of words as the much-anticipated debate on Operation Sindoor got underway, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh outlining the details of the precision military strike on terror targets.

Opening the discussion, Singh described Operation Sindoor as a swift and decisive response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

“Nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK were hit, over 100 terrorists were eliminated, and no civilians were harmed,” he said, asserting that the armed forces had successfully achieved their politico-military objectives without escalating the conflict.

Responding directly to the Minister’s remarks, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi launched a scathing attack on the government’s handling of the Pahalgam attack and its aftermath.

“It’s been over 100 days since the Pahalgam attack. Where is justice? How did the terrorists reach the site in the first place? That too is the Defence Minister’s responsibility,” said Gogoi, who represents Jorhat in Assam.

The Congress leader also raised questions about the Centre’s broader strategy on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). “Why wasn’t war even considered? If not now, when will we take back PoK?” he asked, taking exception to Singh’s remarks that “war was never the goal”.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gogoi said, “Instead of visiting the attack site after returning from Saudi Arabia, he chose to give an election speech in Bihar. It was our leader Rahul Gandhi who went to Pahalgam.”

He also questioned the government’s changing narrative post-Operation Sindoor. “You said earlier – Humne Unke Ghar Main Ghus Ke Maara (we entered their homes and hit them). Now, you’re saying the operation isn’t complete and Pakistan may strike again. How is that a success?”

Gogoi didn’t hold back from referencing US President Donald Trump’s claims of mediating a ceasefire. “US President Trump has made the claim ’26 times’ that he used the threat of trade to bring a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. He says five to six jets have been downed. One jet is of crores and crores (of rupees) that is why we want to know from the Defence Minister, the country has the courage to listen to the truth, he must answer as to how many fighter jets were downed,” he said, demanding clarity on the number of fighter jets lost during the operation.

Raising concerns over military preparedness, Gogoi said, “We have only 35 Rafales. If even a few were downed, it’s a massive loss.”

The Congress MP also slammed the Home Ministry, questioning repeated claims that the “backbone of terrorism has been broken”.

“If that were true, how did Uri, Pulwama, Balakot, and now Pahalgam still happen? Who is responsible—the Lieutenant Governor? No. It’s the Home Minister who must answer,” he said.

Gogoi also accused the Centre of avoiding accountability and questioned the silence on alleged security lapses. “They refuse to answer the tough questions. They act as if they’re beyond scrutiny—even after repeated failures,” he charged.

In a biting conclusion, Gogoi accused the government of cowardice. “This government is so weak, it even blamed tour operators for the Pahalgam attack,” he said.

The debate is expected to continue in both Houses, with more opposition leaders likely to challenge the Centre's claims on national security and counter-terror strategy.

With inputs from agencies