In a fiery speech delivered during a rally in Odisha’s Kandhamal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress party, accusing it of failing to take decisive action in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks due to concerns about losing their vote bank.

Modi asserted that the Congress’ purported reluctance to confront terrorism head-on resulted from a “weak mindset,” exacerbating the struggles faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir for decades. He emphasized that India would not forget the era when the country was plagued by frequent terrorist attacks, yet Congress leaders allegedly engaged in dialogue with the perpetrators instead of taking robust action.

Addressing recent remarks by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, who suggested that India should show respect to Pakistan because of its possession of nuclear weapons, Modi accused the grand old party of attempting to instill fear in its own citizens. He ridiculed the notion of Pakistan’s nuclear capability, highlighting the country’s economic and geopolitical challenges.

“Time and again, Congress tries to scare its own countrymen,” Modi proclaimed, referencing Aiyar’s remarks. “They talk about Pakistan’s bomb, but the condition of Pakistan is such that they don’t know how to keep it, and they are looking for a buyer to sell their bombs, but no one wants to buy them as people know about the quality.”