Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a public address in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Saturday, launched a fierce attack on the opposition parties for what he termed as continuous attempts to undermine India’s counter-terror operations. Commenting especially on criticism over Operation Sindoor, Modi blamed the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) for uniting with the narrative of India’s enemies.
Opposition slammed for questioning counter-terror action
“Congress has called Operation Sindoor a ‘tamasha’. Pakistan is crying, and here, Congress and SP are crying on seeing the condition of terrorists,’’ said PM Modi while speaking in Varanasi. The remarks were made in view of the earlier comments made by the opposition leaders. Samajwadi Party questioned both the timing and the name of the operation carried out by the Indian Armed Forces against Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
PM Modi stated that the armed forces do not need to consult politicians before taking action against terrorists. “Should I call and ask them before taking any action? Do we need to wait for killing terrorists?’’ he asked. He also condemned it as a “vote-bank and appeasement” attitude that is prevalent among some opposition parties.
Congress MP Praniti Shinde, while giving a speech in Parliament, said that Operation Sindoor was nothing but a ‘tamasha’- a statement that was later expunged from Lok Sabha records after uproar from the BJP lawmakers. Similarly, SP leaders also joined the debate. Akhilesh Yadav asked for clarity on the number of Indian aircraft that were involved and questioned why the ceasefire was declared through social media-referring to Donald Trump’s Truth Social post where he claimed to have brokered a ceasefire between the two nations.
PM Modi reaffirms zero tolerance against terrorism
PM Modi, referencing these comments, accused the opposition of politicising the armed forces’ efforts. “They are the same people who gave a clean chit to terrorists when they were in power. Now they are upset when terrorists are killed,’’ he further added.
Restating his government’s commitment towards national security, PM Modi stated about the opposition’s discomfort over the operation’s name and timings. “They even have a problem with the name ‘Sindoor’. But we are clear-we will strike terror at its roots, whenever necessary,’’ he said.
Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah had also defended the military action and stated that it was necessary to send a clear message to terror organisations across the borders.
Meanwhile, PM Modi launched several development projects worth Rs 2,200 crore during his visit to Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.