Former Indian External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha has exonerated Pakistan from any involvement in the recent Pahalgam attack, calling it a political ploy orchestrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to influence upcoming elections in Bihar.
In a hard-hitting interview, Sinha termed the Pahalgam incident a “drama” devised to secure electoral advantage, drawing a parallel with the Pulwama attack, which also occurred ahead of national elections. “Just like in Pulwama, this too appears to be a calculated attempt to exploit national security issues for political mileage,” he said. “Modi openly sought votes in the name of Pulwama ‘martyrs’ during his campaign.”
He alleged that the Pahalgam incident was staged with Bihar elections in mind and warned that such tactics politicize national tragedies. “What has just happened was designed with the Bihar election strategy in view,” Sinha stated.
When asked about Prime Minister Modi’s stance that dialogue with Pakistan would be limited to issues concerning Pakistani Kashmir and terrorism, Sinha dismissed the idea as unrealistic. “If that’s the approach, there will be no talks—this is not how diplomacy works,” he said.
In a separate interview, the former minister criticized the Modi administration for attempting to extract political capital from every incident. “If the government accuses opposition leader Rahul Gandhi of speaking Pakistan’s language, why then were Congress members included in official diplomatic delegations?” he questioned.
Recalling past military conflicts, including Kargil and the wars of 1965 and 1971, Sinha said that a democracy must not withhold information about military losses. “We lost many soldiers in Kargil and previous wars. Why is the government silent on the casualties from the recent conflict? The External Affairs Minister owes the public a truthful account,” he demanded.
Sinha added that the Indian government cannot hide behind vague and fabricated statements. “The responsibilities that fall on Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval must be fulfilled transparently,” he emphasized.
When asked whether such criticism would lead the BJP government to label him as an ally of Pakistan, Sinha responded resolutely, “I have no hesitation. I will continue to ask these questions. It is my right and the right of every Indian to know the truth. India is a democracy, and no one can take away my right to question the government.”
