Nirmala Sitharaman asks '26/11 happened under whose power?' after Manish Tewari slams UPA

After Congress leader Manish Tewari opined in his new book that the UPA government's response to the 26/11 terror attack was not 'kinetic enough', Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday responded while answering to Republic, stating that the UPA government did not respond to terrorism the way NDA did, especially in Pulwama and Sunjwan. 

The FM said, "26/11 was under whose power? Who was in power at that time? Decisions of this nature during PM Modi’s time is done with clear-headed leadership. Taking forces in confidence be it Pulwama or Sunjwan. Gave forces fullest right. How India responded in these times, was missing during UPA."

Meanwhile, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Monday batted for lesser spending on Defence, suggesting India must invest in education, health and nutrition instead. Addressing the India-Russian society programme in Delhi, Aiyar claimed that poverty can be removed from the world if countries invested less in military weapons. Aiyar has often been embroiled in controversy with his comments related to Pakistan.

Responding to Aiyar's remark, FM Sitharaman said, "I wonder if it to be reacted at all to. Is it not important to protect our country. I don’t know is it a straightforward answer that will help. Which will help leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar Who has been in the governance, of the oldest party. We need to protect the country. And for that in 10 years, they didn’t do that at all. And as a result of which even that gap is being filled by us. All this was discussed even during debates in Parliament, how defence ministry under 10 years of UPA was in hibernation. Today we are spending and spending and spending because we have to make up for all that also."

Manish Tewari slams UPA Govt's response To 26/11 Attack

In his fourth book 10 Flash Points; 20 Years - National Security Situations that Impacted India, Manish Tewari opined that the UPA government's response to the 26/11 terror attack was not 'kinetic enough'. Sharing an excerpt from his book, Tewari lashed out at India's tepid response to Pakistan's cruelty after 26/11. His fourth book delves into every salient National Security Challenge India has faced in the past two decades. Tewari has also slammed the Modi govt for its response to the Doklam standoff, criticising the shelving of all plans of raising a mountain strike corps against China.

"For a state (Pakistan) that has no compunctions in brutally slaughtering hundreds of innocent people, restraint is not a sign of strength; it is perceived as a symbol of weakness. There comes a time when actions must speak louder than words. 26/11 was one such time when it should have been done. It, therefore, is my considered opinion that India should have actioned a kinetic response in the days following India's 9/11", opined Tewari.

Image: ANI