S Jaishankar Criticizes Congress for Inaction After 2008 Mumbai Terror Attacks

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has strongly denounced the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for not retaliating against Pakistan after the devastating 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that claimed over 160 lives. In a scathing assessment, Jaishankar claimed that the UPA government made a conscious decision "to do nothing" in response to the attacks.

Quoting the then-National Security Advisor MK Narayanan, Jaishankar revealed that the UPA government rationalized its passivity by arguing that "the cost of attacking Pakistan was more than not doing so." The External Affairs Minister left it to the audience to judge the merits of the UPA's controversial decision.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has consistently criticized the Congress for its perceived weakness in dealing with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. The BJP has touted its own "strong" national security credentials, citing the 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the 2019 Balakot airstrikes as proof of its resolve to tackle cross-border terrorism.

Senior Indian Air Force officials have also claimed that the UPA regime "never gave the go ahead" for a retaliatory strike that was expected to be "100% successful" in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks. However, former NSA Narayanan has justified the UPA's position, arguing that he had "pressed for some immediate visible retaliation" as it would have been "emotionally satisfying" and helped erase the "shame of the incompetence" displayed by India's security agencies during the attacks.

Why this matters: The 2008 Mumbai terror attacks remain one of the deadliest terrorist incidents in India's history. The government's response, or lack thereof, to such a brazen attack on India's sovereignty continues to be a matter of intense political discourse and scrutiny. The contrasting approaches of successive governments in dealing with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism have significant implications for India's national security and foreign policy.

Jaishankar's criticism of the UPA government's handling of the Mumbai attacks comes at a time when India is seeking to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-claims-upa-govt-decided-to-not-take-action-after-2008-mumbai-terror-attacks-714360" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer

Key Takeaways

• Jaishankar criticizes UPA govt for not retaliating after 2008 Mumbai attacks
• UPA rationalized inaction, citing higher cost of attacking Pakistan
• BJP touts its strong national security credentials, citing surgical strikes
• Former NSA justified UPA's position, citing emotional need for retaliation
• Contrasting govt approaches to Pakistan-sponsored terror have security implications