Key Points

In his speech during a special discussion on 'Operation Sindoor' -- India's response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Kale, who spoke in Marathi, said that even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US nine times since 2014, the American establishment invited the Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir for a lunch and asked what does it mean.

"Similarly, despite PM Modi's five visits to China, the latter claims that its bond with Pakistan is quite strong like iron rod," the NCP-SP MP added.

"Does it not the failure of our foreign policy?" Kale asked.

"Will the External Affairs Minister admit faults and failure in country's foreign policy and correct it at the earliest?" he also asked.

"BJP always claim that it functions on the "Rashtra Pratham" (nation first) principle. So will government adhering to this principle accept the mistakes and lapses surfaced after the Pahalgam attack and adopt corrective steps in a serious bid to fight terrorism more aggressively?" Kale asked.

Kale, who was elected from the Wardha constituency in Maharashtra, paid homage to those killed in Pahalgam attack and later during Operation Sindoor while making a strong case for further tightening the foreign policy.

He recalled the decisive role played by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the 1971 India-Pakistan war in which she led India's decisive military intervention.

Kale said that during the Kargil war, the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities had played a crucial role in giving inputs about infiltration to the Centre.

"Had the government received similar inputs from the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities ahead of Pahalgam terror attack? If yes, then what the government had done with it. If such information was not received then was it because these two communities were upset with the government? Has the government overlooked it?" he asked.

The NCP-SP MP also criticised the Central government for simply neglecting the Opposition's demand for convening a special session of the Parliament after the terror attack as it was not even considered despite repeated demand.

He also paid tribute to Syed Adil Hussain Shah, who was a tourist guide, lost his life while protecting the tourists in the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam.

He expressed displeasure over not hailing Syed Adil Hussain Shah's timely role by any speaker during the debate in the House.

- IANS