Our security forces did not let LeT terrorists escape to Pak, says Amit Shah in RS; slams Cong over 'votebank' politics

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday addressed the Rajya Sabha amid the ongoing political debate over Operation Sindoor during the second week of its the Parliament's Monsoon Session.

Shah revealed details of a related counter-terror mission codenamed Operation Mahadev, which recently concluded with the elimination of high-profile Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists.

The Home Minister reiterated that three LeT terrorists were neutralised during the operation: Suleiman alias Faizal Jatt, Afghan, and Jibran — all described as high-ranking operatives.


"Suleiman was an A-grade commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba unit. He had fired shots using his own rifle during the Pahalgam attack and the Gagangir incident. Our security forces ensured he couldn’t escape Kashmir and flee to Pakistan," Shah stated.

He added that Afghan was also listed as an A-grade commander, while Jibran held a senior rank within the same terrorist organisation.

He revealed that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) first received leads about the terrorists’ presence on May 22. “Following that, the IB and military intelligence conducted further investigations. Around July 22, their precise location was identified,” he told the House.

Underscoring the public sentiment surrounding the Pahagalm attack, Shah shared that he had received messages from citizens across the country—particularly from families of the victims—calling for justice. “They said, ‘these terrorists should be shot in the head.’ Coincidentally, during the encounter, they were indeed shot in the head,” he said.

Framing the operation as a response to national outrage and a signal of the government's zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, Shah reiterated that the mission was a joint success for Indian intelligence and security agencies.

Shah slams Chidambaram over remarks on Op Sindoor

Meanwhile, in a sharp political rebuttal, Shah took aim at Congress leader P. Chidambaram, who had earlier demanded Shah’s resignation and questioned the legitimacy of the government’s claims regarding Operation Sindoor and the nationality of the terrorists involved.

“Mr. P. Chidambaram demanded my resignation and questioned the Indian government’s Operation Sindoor. He repeatedly challenged the evidence that those involved in the Pahalgam attack were Pakistani terrorists,” Shah said during his address.

Posing a direct counter-question, the Home Minister asked, “Today, I want to ask him—who was he trying to protect? Pakistan? Lashkar-e-Taiba? Or the terrorists themselves? Aren’t you ashamed of this?”

Shah went on to highlight the timing of the encounter, adding, “But by God’s grace, on the very day he raised these questions, all three terrorists were killed.”