Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 29 : Amid political sparring over the government's response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora on Tuesday criticised the opposition after the Congress party's recent 'Gayab' (missing) jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and accused the leaders of hypocrisy and of indirectly giving a clean chit to Pakistan despite earlier backing the Centre's stance in an all-party meeting.
Speaking to ANI, Milind Deora said, "After the Pahalgam attack, the Centre called an all-party meeting in which almost all parties said that they are with the government in the action it wants to take against Pakistan and terrorists. Soon after, some opposition parties that had supported the Centre in the all-party meeting made a different statement. Some of them are saying that there should be no war against Pakistan, and some of them have given Pakistan a clean chit."
Referring specifically to statements made by Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Deora added, "He is saying that what the victims are saying is wrong."
Drawing a sharp divide in the current political discourse, he said, "Today, there are two ideologies and two kinds of people in India -- those who are nationalists, and those who are giving Pakistan a clean chit."
Highlighting the support extended by the Maharashtra government, Deora said, "Our Deputy CM Shinde personally visited Kashmir and helped the affected families. Meanwhile, some politicians in Maharashtra are undermining national unity by siding with Pakistan, even indirectly."
In a strong message to the Centre, Deora concluded, "I appeal to the Government of India to take action against individuals who spread misinformation and harm national interests."
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also slammed Congress over its 'Gayab' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he "abhors" the party's tactics.
"When our Prime Minister is leading the fight against terrorism strongly, why does Congress have such a low opinion of him? How low will Congress stoop? I abhor this Congress party's antics," Rijiju posted on X.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Anurag Thakur questioned the Congress's stance, asking with whom they were standing, India or Pakistan.
He said that the face of the "pro-Pakistan" Congress has been exposed again.
"Congress aur unke netaaon ki kya majboori hai, ki Pakistan ke bol bolne zaruri hain? Why are they supporting Pakistan? Do they not get angry when they see the bloodshed of Indians?... Their leader and former cabinet minister, Saifuddin Soz, asks us to listen to Pakistan when it says it is not involved in the attack, and not to stop the flow of water into Pakistan," Anurag Thakur told ANI.
He further alleged that Congress has consistently doubted India's actions, like surgical strikes, while showing leniency towards Pakistan.
This came after Congress leader Saifuddin Soz, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and party leader RV Timapur have called for restraint from war and claimed that terrorists did not ask for the religion of the victims, respectively.
Siddaramaiah also clarified that he did not mean a complete no to war and that it should take place if inevitable.
Congress leader Saifuddin Soz said that if Pakistan says that it is not involved in the Pahalgam terror attack, "let's accept that for a time and ultimately go by investigating agencies."
He also said India and Pakistan are neighbours and nothing will work between the two countries except "dialogue."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan.
Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh also attended the meeting.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had met PM Modi at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg on Monday. The meeting came a day after Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan briefed the Defence Minister on some decisions in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.
The government has said that the terrorists responsible for the terror attack and the conspirators behind it will face severe punishment.The government had convened an all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack. Opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the perpetrators of the terror attack.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met a day after the Pahalgam terror attack. In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.
The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.