In a strong address to the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday during the debate on Operation Sindoor, Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on the Congress, blaming it for the loss of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and asserting that the BJP government would reclaim it.

"You conceded a portion of Kashmir to Pakistan, but be assured, we are committed to reclaiming Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir," Shah said.

Responding to criticism about PoK not being captured, Shah stated, “Why did we not take PoK? They (the opposition) were jumping up and down asking this… Today, I want to clarify before the entire country—Operation Sindoor was not a war. We acted under Chapter 7 of Article 51 of the UN Charter and used our right to self-defence.”

In a sharp attack on Congress, Shah said: The Congress party's lenient policies and approach of appeasement allowed terrorism to grow and thrive in the country. Fortunately, we now have leadership that responds with decisive actions, deploying a BrahMos missile, rather than relying on mere dossiers."

Slamming senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said: "Chidambaram ji posed a question, asking what evidence existed to prove that the terrorists were Pakistani. He openly challenged the justification for Operation Sindoor. This raises a critical question: Whom was Chidambaram ji trying to protect, Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), or the terrorists themselves?"

"Chidambaram ji's statements reflect the mindset of the Congress party, which seems willing, for the sake of votebank politics, to lean towards supporting Pakistan, shielding terror outfits like LeT, and offering rhetorical solace to terrorists," he said.

Shah also highlighted India's retaliatory action, including Operation Mahadev, in which three terrorists were eliminated, including the Pahalgam terror attack mastermind.

He said all evidence unequivocally points to Lashkar-e-Taiba's involvement in orchestrating the Pahalgam attack.

Shah also said that under PM Modi's leadership, terrorism has declined in India.

"Between 2004 and 2014, a total of 7,217 terrorist incidents were recorded. However, from June 2015 to May 2025, the number of incidents significantly decreased to 2,150, reflecting a 70% reduction in terrorist activities," he said.

He said the BJP government has zero tolerance against terrorism.

Referring to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, Shah said, “On 22 April, terrorists attacked Pahalgam. In response, we had the right to dismantle the entire terror ecosystem, a right recognised globally, and we exercised that right.”

He also clarified, “When Pakistan said it didn’t want conflict, we accepted it.”