Guwahati, Jun 9 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday praised opposition leaders Shashi Tharoor, Asaduddin Owaisi and Supriya Sule for defending India on foreign soil in the wake of the country's retaliation to Pahalgam terror attack but lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for "betraying" the nation and the armed forces.
During a discussion on a resolution in the state assembly over the success of 'Operation Sindoor', Sarma said Gandhi has been constantly asking about India's losses, but never wanted to know the damage incurred by Pakistan in the military conflict.
"I am thankful to Congress and other opposition leaders, especially Shashi Tharoor, who have strongly defended India's position on foreign soil. Not only he, but leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi and Supriya Sule also represented India on foreign soil and defended the nation.
"They all stood for India. But Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi did not. He has betrayed the nation. He has betrayed the armed forces," Sarma alleged.
He criticised Gandhi for allegedly questioning India's losses in the armed conflict with Pakistan during 'Operation Sindoor'.
"Asking about the losses after the military conflict is a different thing, but he asked about India's losses when it was ongoing. However, he never asked about Pakistan's losses," Sarma claimed.
"We are hurt when Congress says 'Narender-Surrender'. Rahul Gandhi goes to the US and England, and always speaks against India, the Election Commission and other agencies," Sarma said.
The leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha last week alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi surrendered after a call from US President Donald Trump during the India-Pakistan military conflict, a statement attracting sharp reactions from the ruling party.
"Rahul Gandhi only wants to know how many fighter jets were destroyed by Pakistan when the media in that country was showing everything openly. I have never seen such a big leader speaking against India's interests. And now they are bringing out 'Jai Hind Yatra', which is only to demoralise the Indian Army," Sarma said.
He claimed that Congress is more popular in Pakistan post 'Operation Sindoor' with their media giving more airtime to the Indian opposition party and "telecasting every statement of Gandhi".
In an apparent hint towards Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi's British wife's alleged links with Pakistan's ISI, the CM said the spy agency has an operational module, under which training is imparted to harm India through parliamentary democracy.
"After training, you ask questions in Parliament on topics like nuclear bomb sites along the Indo-Pak border, number of nuclear warheads in India and new check Coast Guard points along the sea route used by Ajmal Kasab," he said without taking the name of Gogoi.
Talking about the 1971 war, Sarma acknowledged former prime minister Indira Gandhi's role in the victory but said she did not ensure the release of nine Indian soldiers while releasing 93,000 Pakistani army men.
"Bangladesh was created and we could have asked to take back their immigrants, but it was not done. Indira Gandhi won the war for her credit, but did nothing for Assam and Northeast. We could have also asked to expand the Chicken Neck corridor, which is just 22 km wide," he added.
Sarma asserted that the creation of Bangladesh was an unfortunate development for Assam.
"History will judge Indira Gandhi differently," he added.
The BJP leader further claimed that former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had bartered Chittagong port with a portion of Punjab from Pakistan during Partition.
"If it was not done, the port would have stayed with us as suggested by Radcliffe and we would not have depended only on the Chicken Neck. Today China is threatening us to snap our connection with the rest of India by taking control of this Chicken Neck," he added.
Sarma also claimed that Nehru had enacted the Indus Water Treaty under the pressure of the US, while the World Bank had mediated the pact.
"Under this treaty, 80 per cent of Indus waters would go to Pakistan and India had control over only 20 per cent of the water. It was a strange pact, which Congress also never refuted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi scrapped it," he added.
Regarding Partition of India, the BJP leader stressed that without the consent of Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, who had initially objected to the idea of dividing the nation, the bifurcation would not have taken place.
"Then why do you blame Savarkar for dividing India? How is he related to it? Congress has to accept both good and bad of Indian freedom movement," he added.