LUDHIANA: With six phases of seven-phase Lok Sabha election 2019 already over, the war of words amongst the leaders is still on. Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday referred to 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks to launch a scathing attack on the Congress. He remarked that then Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh failed to discharge his duties as the CM when the city was under attacks and he was more focused on getting a film role for his son Riteish Deshmukh.


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"I am from Mumbai. You might remember the 26/11 terror attack. The then Congress government was weak and could not do anything. The then Chief Minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) had brought a film producer outside Oberoi Hotel while shooting and bombing was going on inside. CM was concerned about getting his child a film role," Goyal said.



It is to be noted that popular Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh is the son of late Vilasrao Deshmukh. Goyal also fired salvos at the UPA government led by former PM Manmohan Singh and labelled it a "coward government" for failing to respond to 26/11 attacks that took place in 2008. Goyal stressed that Indian armed forces wanted to avenge the Mumbai terror attacks but the decision in this regard was not taken by Central leadership. 


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"Our Armed Forces were capable then too but the decision was to be taken by the leadership. The security forces kept hoping that they would be allowed to give a befitting reply but they were not allowed to take action. That was a coward government," the Union Minister was quoted as saying by ANI.



National security has been made a poll agenda by the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha poll with all its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah referring to surgical strikes post-Uri and air-strike in Pakistan's Balakot after Pulwama attack as the steps taken by the current government to tackle terrorism.


(With ANI inputs)