So much so that Anand Sharma, who was minister of state (external affairs) in the previous government and is now the Commerce Minister, had to rescue him.

Krishna, reading out a statement, said, “Today is a year since the terrorist attack on our embassy in Kabul in Afghanistan. A number of our embassy personnel and a large number of Afghan nationals lost their lives in the attack on a diplomatic premise. We recall their sacrifice with a sense of grief as also to reiterate our commitment against terrorism and all those who sponsor and sustain it Justice must be served.”

As soon as he finished, Opposition MPs led by the BJP’s Venkaiah Naidu and S S Ahluwalia asked Krishna on the need for this statement. Naidu further asked, “What has the government done for the dependents of those victims?”

Krishna, caught completely off guard, was unable to answer the question. So, it was left to his cabinet colleague Anand Sharma to bail him out.

“I was part of the government,” Sharma said, adding, “The wife of the IFS officer is drawing the same salary as her martyred husband would have drawn till the age of retirement.” He also gave out details about the family of Army brigadier R D Mehta who was killed in the attack.

The BJP leaders also raised the issue of the UPA government not observing the anniversary of Kargil conflict, where hundreds were killed and injured, but had chosen to remember the Kabul attack.