New Delhi, May 14 (UNI) The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP of trying to politicise Operation Sindoor and said that it was carried out by the country’s defence forces, and no political party can assert exclusive claim over it.
In a meeting of senior Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi and other members of the Congress Working Committee expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the martyred soldiers, officers, and civilians killed in Poonch.
“The nation stands united in grief and resolve. The Indian armed forces have time and again risen to the occasion, defending the sovereignty and integrity of our nation with valour,” the resolution said, while reaffirming, “the Congress party reiterates its complete support to our armed forces.”
It pointed out that the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack remain at large and demanded their immediate apprehension and prosecution.
The CWC demanded that the government must explain how such a lapse was allowed to occur, and why necessary preventive measures were not taken despite clear warnings.
“National security cannot be managed through public relations exercises on television; it demands professional rigour, vigilance and institutional accountability,” it asserted.
Expressing surprise over the sudden ceasefire, it said, “equally surprising was the abrupt end to India’s retaliatory action against Pakistan, which has left behind a trail of unanswered questions.”
The sudden halt, without clarity or communication, has led to speculation and concern across the country, it observed, while noting, “added to this was the deeply problematic statement by the US President Donald Trump, who was the first to claim that a ceasefire was brokered with the use of trade threats and pressure on India.”
Alleging that the attempts were being made to internationalise the Kashmir issue, the CWC resolution noted, “successive Indian governments, cutting across party lines, have firmly maintained that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.”
The CWC resolution also strongly condemned the alleged statement of a senior BJP minister in MP government towards a senior woman Army officer.
“Such behaviour is not only disgraceful but undermines the dignity of our armed forces and the principles of gender respect within the military,” it said.
The CWC reiterated the demands already put forward by the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, for an immediate all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the convening of a special session of Parliament.
Later briefing reporters, Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera, announced that the Congress would be holding ‘Jai Hind’ rallies in various cities across the country.
Ramesh asked why the Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister were silent over the role of the US President, who was repeatedly claiming that he had facilitated the ceasefire.
Referring to the alleged politicisation of Operation Sindoor, he remarked, “there is maximum silence on real issues and maximum politicisation of Operation Sindoor.”
He said Operation Sindoor is not one party’s brand, but the brand of the entire nation—that of the Indian armed forces.
Speaking on the occasion, Pawan Khera said the Congress strongly objected to the hyphenation of India and Pakistan by Donald Trump.
He said his party also has strong objections to President Trump equating the Indian and the Pakistani Prime Ministers.
He said a strong denial was needed from the Prime Minister over what Trump had said, but it did not come.
The PM could have inserted a one-line denial in his address to the nation, he observed.
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