Poonam Sharma
The recent Parliament debate on Operation Sindoor has again stripped bare the political veneer of the Congress party, revealing its growing disconnect with national interest and its lasting obsession with political power.
What should have become a unifying, serious debate on India’s strategic anti-terror strike in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, became a party show. Rather than endorsing a mission that showed India’s military prowess and determination, Congress leadership—specifically Rahul Gandhi and his coterie—preferred to puncture it.
Operation Sindoor: A Strategic Win for India
From May 6 to May 10, Indian military forces launched a well-coordinated counter-insurgency strike in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), demolishing several terrorist camps without causing any collateral damage. This gave the world an unmistakable message: India will retaliate when its sovereignty is breached.
Rajnath Singh, the Prime Minister and Defence Minister, offered a fact-and truth-based explanation in Parliament. PM Modi also made it clear that no global leader, including Donald Trump, had requested India to suspend the mission. Nonetheless, Congress persisted in raising doubts about the legitimacy of the operation.
The Congress party’s approach wasn’t one of patriotic scrutiny but of ideological denial and misinformation. Their obsession with discrediting Narendra Modi, even at the cost of national unity, was evident. For Congress, India’s victory is irrelevant unless it can be turned into their political success.
In both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, the same tired script played out:
Repetitive allegations
No new insights
Silence from Sonia Gandhi
Distracting rhetoric from Mallikarjun Kharge
Rahul Gandhi’s refusal to acknowledge military achievement
Meanwhile, Home Minister Amit Shah and JP Nadda countered each charge with data and clarity. Shah’s bold prediction—“You will sit in opposition for 20 more years”—wasn’t just political theatre. It was a diagnosis of a party in denial and decline.
Congress Echoing Pakistan’s Narrative
The worst aspect of the debate was how tightly Congress’s arguments aligned with Pakistani propaganda. Their arguments regarding foreign intervention, human rights, and military behavior were uncannily similar to what narratives were being aggressively promoted by Pakistan’s diplomats and media.
Prime Minister Modi correctly pointed this out in Parliament, highlighting how Congress speeches find their way to enemy dossiers at the United Nations. In all other countries, the opposition comes together in support of the government in times of crisis. But Congress makes national defense operations party activities.
Does Congress Still Care About National Security?
The basic question—does the Congress party remain a stakeholder in India’s national interest? Or has it turned into a platform for those who are holding on to a past era and refusing to embrace India’s assertive, self-assured future?
When soldiers were risking their lives during the vital May 6–10 operations, Congress wished for political failure. That’s not opposition—that’s opportunism. That’s not debate—it’s irresponsibility.
Voters See Through the Drama
Even with all the noise in the media, Congress remains in decline politically. The reason is straightforward: the Indian voter does not love anti-national grandstanding masquerading as dissent. If a party condemns the armed forces of India in the same vocabulary as its critics, it ceases to be an opposition—and begins to resemble the opposition to the country.
A Party Out of Time
As Operation Sindoor recedes from headlines, its political aftershocks remain. For Congress, it is a moment of introspection:
Can it still be a responsible opposition?
Can it stand with India in national hours of need?
Or will it continue to be a relic—harboring bitterness and an insatiable craving for power?
If the Congress party cannot change, its fantasy of coming back to power won’t be stalled—it might vanish. Because the Indian voter has progressed. The actual question now is—will Congress?
