NEW DELHI: At the all-party meeting convened by the Centre on the ‘Operation Sindoor’, Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi demanded that the government should give a detailed briefing on the situation to demonstrate a united national response to the crisis, said sources.
Citing the 1999 Kargil War, Gandhi said that the Indian government briefed all political parties in an all-party meeting at that time on the Pakistani intrusion.
Gandhi also reiterated his support for the armed forces and backed the government's anti-terror action.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who briefed the political parties about the success of the anti-terror operation meeting, told them that certain confidential information cannot be shared outside in the interest of national security.
While speaking about the anti-terror operation launched by India to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, Singh asserted that the ‘intended objectives have been obtained by the operation and India has no interest in further escalation. However, in the event of any misadventure by Pakistan, India will give a befitting reply, he said, according to sources.
While the Opposition MPs questioned the minister on the absence of a detailed presentation of the operation, Singh said, “We did not have a presentation since it is an ongoing operation”.
Thursday's all-party meeting saw Union ministers Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, JP Nadda and Nirmala Sitharaman representing the government, while Rahul and Kharge from the Congress, Sandip Bandyopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress and DMK's T R Baalu were among the leading opposition figures.
Other opposition leaders included Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sanjay Singh of the AAP, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule, BJD's Sasmit Patra and CPI(M)'s John Brittas.
Both Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the government for the absence of Prime Minister Modi in the meeting, saying that it will send out a negative message to the world.
Ahead of the meeting, Congress demanded that PM Modi chair the meeting and take the opposition into confidence. “Is the PM afraid to address us?” asked Kharge.
Kharge further said that though Rahul Gandhi demanded that the government should hold a special Parliament session to send out a message of unity, it did not elicit any response from the government.
Later, addressing the media after the meeting, Kharge said, “The PM did not attend the previous all-party meeting, either. He is skipping it for the second time. It’s his intention that he thinks he is above the Parliament. When the time comes, we will ask, but now it is a time of crisis, and we don’t want to criticise anyone.”
“We heard what was said by the government. They said for the interest of the country, anything based on national security was confidential, and they couldn’t say anything about it. However, all the party members who were present said that in this hour of crisis, we are all with them and told them to keep doing the work, and we will support them for the country's interest.”
Kharge also raised the issue of media reports on Pakistan claiming that it shot down Indian Rafale jets.
“The government said that the news about shooting down the jets is propaganda by Pakistan,” said Kharge.
Speaking at the meeting, CPM MP John Brittas said that war is not a solution and India should now take steps to de-escalate.
“Defence Minister said that the ‘intended objectives have been obtained by the operation. In that case, the govt should take steps to de-escalate”.
Quoting former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said, “When you begin a war, where you begin a war, how you begin a war, is entirely in your hands. Where the war will stop, how it will stop, when it will stop, is not in your hands.” That’s why a leader, statesman has to stop many times before taking his country to war.
Brittas also sought to know the government’s understanding of Pakistan’s response to the attack. “Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar was the principal actor behind several terror attacks in India. We sent him back in 1999. India should ask Pakistan to hand him over now,” said Brittas, according to sources. He also demanded that the Centre should lead a delegation to Jammu and Kashmir in solidarity with the people, who are at the receiving end.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP M Sanjay Raut demanded that the terrorists involved in the ghastly Pahalgam attack be brought to the India Gate and made to face the women who lost their husbands in the attack.
TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay said that the government should pay attention to the Bangladesh border also. DMK’s T R Baalu asserted that terror has no religion.
