Priyanka Gandhi strongly responded to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s accusation that her mother, Sonia Gandhi, had cried for terrorists killed during the 2008 Batla House encounter. Priyanka countered this claim by saying that her mother shed tears not for terrorists but because her father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was killed by terrorists. She said that she personally witnessed her mother’s sorrow and grief during that time, which deeply affected her. That pain, she added, gave her the strength and empathy to stand with those families who lost their loved ones in terrorist attacks like the one in Pahalgam. Speaking in Parliament during the debate on Operation Sindoor, Priyanka Gandhi emphasized that her understanding of such pain came from lived experience and not political convenience.
Earlier, Amit Shah had criticized Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of sympathizing with the terrorists killed in the Batla House encounter, rather than mourning the brave police officer who died in the line of duty. He brought up a statement made years ago by Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who had said that Sonia Gandhi was deeply moved and had cried after seeing the photos of the terrorists who were killed. Shah criticized this sentiment and remarked that Sonia Gandhi should have cried for the martyred officer Mohan Chand Sharma instead. Shah referenced an old news clip where Khurshid appeared emotional while talking about Sonia Gandhi’s reaction and challenged the opposition to revisit that video, claiming he still had it saved on his phone and was willing to show it publicly.
The Batla House encounter happened on September 19, 2008, a week after a series of bomb blasts had rocked Delhi. Those attacks, which left around 30 people dead, were claimed by the Indian Mujahideen. Based on a tip-off, a police team led by encounter specialist Mohan Chand Sharma had raided a building in Batla House where suspected terrorists were hiding. During the raid, an intense gunfight broke out, resulting in the deaths of two terrorists and the brave officer Sharma. The incident stirred significant political debate over the years, with some leaders questioning the authenticity of the encounter while others hailed the police’s bravery.
Priyanka Gandhi, by recalling her mother’s emotional pain after Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, aimed to show that her family has firsthand experience of terrorism and the suffering it brings. She firmly stated that it is that very experience that enables her to relate to the families of terror victims today. According to her, accusations about crying for terrorists are not only false but also deeply disrespectful to someone who has lost her spouse to a terror attack. She positioned herself not as someone defending political narratives but as someone speaking from personal pain and genuine compassion.
