'I Don't Speak To Earn Patriotism Certificates': Owaisi To Critics Amid Op Sindoor Outreach
Last Updated:
He also underlined his party's stance on the armed forces, adding, 'My party and I are proud of our defence forces.'
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has pushed back against criticism over his inclusion in the multi-party delegation sent to Pahalgam as part of the government's post-Operation Sindoor outreach. Speaking to CNN-News18, Owaisi made it clear that his participation stemmed from conviction, not political appeasement.
'Whatever I've said as part of the delegation is what I genuinely believe. I don't say things to earn certificates of patriotism," he said. While acknowledging the criticism, he insisted that 'toxic stereotyping of Muslims must end," and emphasised that Muslims, like all Indians, 'want peace and prosperity."
When asked about Rahul Gandhi's controversial remarks and the Congress's position, Owaisi distanced himself from political crossfire and said: 'Rahul Gandhi and his party are capable of substantiating and explaining his statements. This is a democracy — everyone has a right to their opinion. It's better to ask his party directly."
On whether a special Parliament session should have been convened in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, Owaisi noted that there was precedent for it. 'The government could have called a special session. But now they've announced dates for the monsoon session. We hope that Pahalgam is discussed then. The government must explain the security lapse, fix accountability, and outline a deterrence policy," he said.
Reacting to recent remarks by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Owaisi said the statement should be viewed as politically sanctioned. 'What the CDS said must be seen as a statement approved by the political leadership — he can't speak without their consent. We have the right to question the government and demand a structured debate in Parliament on Pahalgam."
He also underlined his party's stance on the armed forces, adding, 'My party and I are proud of our defence forces."
First Published:
June 05, 2025, 13:53 IST
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Rahul sounds 'match-fixing' alarm again, says Bihar next
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday renewed his allegation of electoral malpractices in last November's assembly election in Maharashtra that the BJP-led alliance swept and said " match-fixing will come next in Bihar", which goes to polls later this year. Gandhi, who has been attacking the central government over its handling of Operation Sindoor, again raised the allegation of electoral malpractices in identical articles written in more than a dozen newspapers and through social media posts. He focussed his charges more on the authenticity of electoral rolls and high voter turnouts and less on electronic voting machines. He again objected to the Chief Justice of India not being part of the search committee for election commissioners. Incidentally, all these issues are topics of petitions currently pending before the apex court. Maintaining the Maharashtra poll was a blueprint for "how to steal an election" and "for rigging democracy", Gandhi claimed it was done through various steps. "Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission , Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll, Step 3: Inflate voter turnout, Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win, Step 5: Hide the evidence. It's not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra," he wrote on microblogging platform X. "But rigging is like match-fixing - the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroys public faith in the result. All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers. Because the match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing. Match-fixed elections are a poison for any democracy," he said. Gandhi renewing the charges over Maharashtra election results after a pause on the front and the fact that his latest burst is mostly a summary of the old charges, have made many in the Congress wonder whether he was using it more as a caveat ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly poll, where Gandhi's new-found switch to 'social justice' plank has high-stakes. They said his article is mostly inspired by the "investigations" done by the AICC's data wing.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
41 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Maharashtra polls: Rahul urges EC to publish rolls, share CCTV from booths
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called upon the Election Commission to publish consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states, including Maharashtra, saying that "telling the truth" will protect poll panel's credibility. In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, referred to the ECI's response to his allegations concerning Maharashtra polls and said "releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions". "Dear EC, You are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions. If you have nothing to hide, answer the questions in my article and prove it by: * Publishing consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states, including Maharashtra * Releasing all post-5 pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. Evasion won't protect your credibility. Telling the truth will," he said in a post on X. In response, ECI described Rahul Gandhi's Maharashtra election poll rigging as "unsubstantiated allegations." "Unsubstantiated allegations raised against the Electoral Rolls of Maharashtra are affront to the rule of law. The Election Commission had brought out all these facts in its reply to the INC on 24th December 2024 itself, which is available on ECI's website. It appears that all these facts are completely being ignored while raising such issues again and again," it said. "Any misinformation being spread, by anyone, is not only a sign of disrespect towards the Law, but also brings disrepute to the thousands of representatives appointed by their own political party and demotivates lakhs of election staff who work untiringly and transparently during elections. After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd," it added.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘US stands firmly with India': Shashi Tharoor-led delegation meets top US officials; discusses Operation Sindoor
Shashi Tharoor led all-party delegation with US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau (Picture credit: X/@Tejasvi_Surya) NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor , leading an all-party parliamentary delegation to the United States, briefed key American officials on the escalating threat of cross-border terrorism faced by India and the country's strong counter-response through Operation Sindoor . According to an official statement issued by the Embassy of India in the US, the delegation met deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau and held a wide-ranging conversation on regional security and India-US bilateral cooperation. The delegation informed the US official about the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed and several injured, and outlined India's subsequent military operation launched on May 7. "The delegation briefed him on the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, discussed India's subsequent Operation Sindoor, and put forth India's firm resolve to counter cross-border terrorism in all its forms," the Embassy said in a statement. — IndianEmbassyUS (@IndianEmbassyUS) The deputy secretary of state reaffirmed the United States' 'strong support' to India in its fight against terrorism, the statement added. The discussions also included avenues to deepen cooperation between the two countries in areas of shared interest. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Tharoor also engaged with members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In separate meetings with Senator Chris Van Hollen and a phone call with Senator Cory Booker, the delegation shared insights on India's security challenges and military actions. 'Senator Van Hollen expressed deep sympathy for India and reaffirmed that the US stands firmly with India in the fight against terrorism,' BJP MP Tejasvi Surya posted on X following the meeting. Congress MP Tharoor also said on X that he had a "warm & productive" conversation with Senator Cory Booker. 'Outlined the repeated provocations of terrorism emanating from across the border, laid out the details of Operation Sindoor, and emphasized India's firm resolve in countering any future acts of terrorism,' Tharoor wrote. The delegation participated in a special dinner hosted by the Indian Ambassador, where former envoy Taranjit Singh Sandhu said on X, 'Delighted to meet so many old friends and supporters of India-US partnership at Ambassador's dinner.' Tharoor also addressed the US media at the National Press Club in Washington in a session moderated by Indian-American journalist Poonam Sharma. 'A lively session... spanned a wide range of issues related to Operation Sindoor and India's actions against terrorism,' he wrote. The all-party delegation includes MPs from various political parties: Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (TDP), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejasvi Surya, and Bhubaneswar Kalita (BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), and Milind Deora (Shiv Sena), along with former Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu. India launched Operation Sindoor as a direct response to the Pahalgam attack, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen were killed.
