‘National security failure': Mamata Banerjee slams Centre, lauds armed forces; skips ‘ Operation Sindoor' mention
KOLKATA: The Bengal assembly on Tuesday tabled a resolution lauding the armed forces' response to the Pahalgam carnage without mentioning 'Operation Sindoor' by name as CM Mamata Banerjee demanded the Centre's resignation for it's failure to hunt down the terrorists who killed 26 people and provide 'security to the nation'.
'Some people love the country, others love to market themselves,' Banerjee said, accusing BJP of going mute on intelligence lapses leading to the April 22 carnage but being extra vocal to exploit
Operation Sindoor
politically. 'Why has not a single terrorist been caught?' Banerjee asked, demanding accountability from the Centre for a 'colossal (internal security) lapse'.
'I will go on asking questions as they are related to national security.
W
e still do not know where the terrorists came from or where they took shelter. How did Pakistan get a loan from the Asian Development Bank? The foreign minister is a good man but Indian diplomacy should have been better. How did Pakistan become the vice-chair of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee?' she asked, adding that the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam carnage should have been hunted down.
'They (terrorists) should be taught a lesson even if it is temporary. Terrorism is unacceptable,' she added, backing Operation Sindoor.
'There should not be a Pulwama whenever there is an election. You have failed to protect the country and you teach us Hinduism. We believe in the Hinduism of Ramakrishna and Gandhi, not your fake Hinduism,' she told BJP MLAs, who kept on interrupting her speech with 'Modi, Modi' slogans.
Banerjee also took a dig at the suspected espionage-related arrests from Gujarat: 'Information is being passed on to Pakistan from the PM and union home minister's state.'
'We believe terrorists do not have any religion. They do not look at religion when they attack. The incident at Pahalgam is barbaric. I offer my condolences to the victims' kin. A youth from the minority community tried to save Hindu tourists. I salute that youth,' Banerjee said.
There was chaos inside the assembly when BJP MLAs slammed the Trinamool for not specifying 'Operation Sindoor' or the 'targeted killing' of innocents. 'We are grateful to the assembly for bringing the resolution and we support it though I may differ on some points,' assembly opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari said while expressing his disappointment at the omissions.
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