Jay Panda Quips On Tragic Congress Decision Of Not Letting Tharoor Speak On Op Sindoor, MP’s Reaction Caught On Camera

New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing discussion on Operation Sindoor in Lok Sabha on Monday, BJP MP Baijayant Jay Panda quipped at the Congress party's leadership for not allowing Congress MP Shashi Tharoor to speak freely on behalf of the party, while praising his exceptional speaking skills. Speaking in the Lower House during the discussion on ‘Op Sindoor’, India's military strikes against terrorist groups based in Pakistan and PoJK, Panda clearly asserted that though Tharoor was not given a chance to speak in the Parliament, no one could stop him from speaking in favour of the country. 

Speaking in Lok Sabha on the sixth day of the ongoing Monsoon Session, Panda said, "It would have been fun if you (Congress) had given a free hand. Many of your leaders speak really well. My friend Shashi Tharoor speaks really well, but his leadership does not allow him to speak on behalf of the party. But I felt really good that no one could stop him from speaking in favour of the country."

‘Maunvrat’, Says Shashi Tharoor

BJP MP Jay Panda's comments come against the backdrop of a recent photograph that went viral on social media, showing him and Tharoor taking a selfie together. The image led to speculation about Shashi Tharoor's shift towards the BJP. Panda had captioned the photo, "My friend & fellow traveller called me mischievous for saying that we seem to be finally travelling in the same direction..." The BJP MP's statement has fueled rumours about Tharoor's possible alignment with the BJP.

Meanwhile, when asked about speaking in the debate on Operation Sindoor, ahead of the discussion in the Lok Sabha, Shashi Tharoor hinted that he might not participate, saying “Maunvrat, maunvrat (silence, silence)” with a smile. 

Operation Sindoor And Operation Mahadev

During the Lok Sabha discussion, Jay Panda also hailed the recent ‘Operation Mahadev’ launched by Indian security forces, which resulted in the elimination of three terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. He noted that at least one of the neutralised terrorists was involved in the Pahalgam terror attack. He praised the operation, saying, "As we were debating this issue today, some of us must have seen in the news that an Operation Mahadev is being conducted in Jammu and Kashmir targeted at terrorists, and it appears that at least one of those eliminated today was involved in the Pahalgam attack."

The BJP leader, while putting his thoughts during the discussion on Operation Sindoor, also criticised the previous UPA government's response to terrorism, citing the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the 2005 Delhi serial blast, and the 2006 Varanasi terror attack. He stated that Pakistani-sponsored terrorists were attacking India and killing Indians on a regular basis, but the previous government never retaliated. "If we look at the new normal that I have been talking about, it is essential to understand what the past was. In the past, on a regular basis, almost on a daily basis, Pakistani-sponsored terrorists were attacking India and killing Indians," Panda said.

He further asserted that the then government decided not to retaliate after the Mumbai attacks, despite the armed forces planning an operation. "The retaliation was planned by our armed forces, but the then government did not permit retaliation," Lok Sabha MP Panda added. He also pointed out that seven months after the 26/11 attacks, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the Pakistani President on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Russia, deciding to continue dialogue between the two countries.