JP Nadda, a member of the Rajya Sabha and national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), gave a forceful indictment of the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on Wednesday during a discussion on 'Operation Sindoor.' Nadda drew a sharp contrast between India's approach to counter-terrorism during the UPA's tenure from 2004 to 2014 and the BJP-led government's approach under Prime Minister Narendra Modi from 2014 to 2025.
Nadda began by commending the armed forces and security personnel for their efforts, but he attributed the fundamental change in India's response to terrorism to what he described as Prime Minister Modi's 'decisive leadership.'
He starkly contrasted the two eras, stating, "Between 2004 and 2014, India saw a non-reactive and indecisive government that responded to terror attacks with dossiers, not deterrence." To support this claim, Nadda recalled a series of significant terror attacks that occurred during the UPA's time in power. These included the 2005 Delhi bombings, the 2006 Mumbai train blasts, the 2008 Jaipur and Ahmedabad attacks, and the devastating 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The BJP president pointed out that even as these attacks, claimed by Pakistan-based militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, and Indian Mujahideen, continued, the UPA government proceeded with confidence-building measures with Pakistan. He mentioned the opening of new trade routes, an increase in flights, and the resumption of bilateral dialogue. Nadda summed up this approach with the vivid and critical remark, "They served biryani while bullets came from across the border."
He further backed his argument with a comparison of terrorism-related statistics from the two periods. According to Nadda, India experienced 7,217 terror incidents between 2004 and 2014. In comparison, this number dramatically decreased to 2,150 during the 2015–2025 Modi administration. He also provided statistics on civilian casualties, pointing out that during the UPA, 1,060 civilians were killed, compared to 542 during the Modi administration, a 49 per cent decrease.
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Nadda also emphasised the significant turning points in India's new counterterrorism strategy. He mentioned the 2019 Balakot airstrikes and the 2016 Uri surgical strikes, both of which were carried out in retaliation for fatal assaults on Indian forces. He emphasized that these actions were unprecedented, stating, "For the first time since independence, we hit back deep inside Pakistan." He underscored his point by saying, "Same army, same police - the only difference is the political will."
Referring to the recent Pahalgam attack, Nadda presented 'Operation Sindoor' as the latest example of this new doctrine. He detailed the operation, noting, "We went 300 km inside Pakistan, destroyed major terror infrastructure of Jaish, LeT, Hizbul - and not a single Indian civilian was harmed." He contrasted this with the UPA era, where he claimed "talks and terror ran parallel."
Nadda concluded by stating that under Prime Minister Modi, a clear and decisive doctrine of "'terror and talks cannot go together' became the doctrine." He cited several actions taken to enforce this policy, including the suspension of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals, the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, the closure of trade with Pakistan, and an aggressive global diplomatic campaign.
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