‘MPs roaming, terrorists also roaming’: Jairam Ramesh sparks row; BJP says Congress ‘crossed all limit’ | India News

NEW DELHI: A fresh political storm erupted on Thursday after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh controversially likened the free movement of Pahalgam terrorists to that of Indian MPs traveling abroad, drawing sharp criticism from the BJP.Jairam Ramesh accused the government of targeting the Congress while allowing terrorists involved in multiple attacks to remain at large. “These terrorists from Pahalgam were involved in four attacks and are still roaming freely. Our MPs are roaming, and terrorists are also roaming. We’re raising these questions seriously,” he said.“They do not answer these questions. The BJP only targets the Congress party. Their attack is on the Congress party; it should be on the terrorists. Action should be taken against Pakistan. The terrorists should be arrested. The missiles that are being launched every day are being launched against the Congress party,” he added.Meanwhile, the BJP latched on to Jairam’s remarks to accuse Congress of “crossing all limits.”BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla claimed that comparing MPs to terrorists is exactly what Pakistan wants so that it can get a clean chit.“Comparing our MPs to terrorists is exactly what Pakistan wants so that it can get a clean chit. This is the same Congress party that called the army chief a street thug, labeled the surgical strike as blood trade, belittled the Balakot strike, and insulted the Sindhu operation by calling it a minor activity. They have disrespected the army, the surgical strike, and our diplomatic efforts. Now, when Pakistan is being diplomatically cornered, Congress steps in to defend Pakistan and calls our MPs terrorists. There should be strict action from the Parliament, but this shows the mentality of the Congress party,” Poonawalla said.“The Congress talks about Hindu terror, demands no action against Pakistan for events like Samjhauta, Pulwama, and Pahalgam, and insults operations like Sindoor. They also demean diplomatic strikes by referring to them as tours or travels. The way they have spoken about MPs like Kanimozhi, Supriya Sule, and Rajeev Rai is shameful. The Congress party today is speaking the language of the DG ISPR and Pakistani YouTubers,” he added.Poonawaala also urged Privileges Committee of the Parliament to take action against Jairam’s remarks.“The Privileges Committee of the Parliament should immediately take cognisance of this and take action. Our MPs are visiting partner countries to expose Pakistan and Jairam Ramesh compared them with terrorists. This is the same party which called the Chief of Army Staff a ‘goonda.’ They are the same people who asked for proof of the Balakot air strikes. They have time and again insulted the forces,” Poonawala said.“After questioning the military strike, they are now questioning the diplomatic strike. First, they cornered their own MP Shashi Tharoor, and now this comment against their ally MPs is condemnable. This is what Pakistan wants. Pakistan uses statements like these to give a clean chit to itself. Jairam Ramesh is speaking the language of Pakistan’s DG-ISPR,” he added.This comes as Congress and BJP locked horns over Shashi Tharoor’s reported statement in Panama that India breached the LoC “for the first time” during the 2016 surgical strike. This prompted a sharp response from his party colleague Udit Raj, who accused Tharoor of denigrating Congress’s legacy.Tharoor’s recent statements on India-Pakistan relations have notably diverged from the Congress party’s official position, particularly regarding the government’s handling of US President Trump’s claims about mediating a ceasefire between the two nations.Meanwhile, the grand old party has also been asking the prime minister to break his “silence” on US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he helped settle the recent military tensions between India and Pakistan.