"Munir who was defeated in field, became a Field Martial": Ravi Shankar Prasad calls Pakistan "undemocratic"
London [UK], June 2 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is leading the all-party delegation in the United Kingdom, said that Pakistan is not a 'democratic country' and added that Pakistan's armed forces have made the country for themselves and are 'unelectable and unaccountable.' Highlighting the example of Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, whom he said was 'defeated in the field' but promoted to Field Marshal, Prasad drew parallels with former military rulers like Ayub Khan.
While addressing the Indian diaspora in London on Sunday, Ravi Shankar Prasad also spoke about Operation Sindoor and mentioned how Indian forces targeted terrorist camps in Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad, and other places of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). He stated that Indian forces only targeted terrorist camps. However, he said the Pakistani forces attacked Indian skies and mentioned how Indian forces responded to them.
Prasad said, 'What is the problem of Pakistan? The problem with Pakistan is that it is not a democratic country. 'Muhammad Ali Jinnah ne banaya Pakistan, wo ban gaya Generals ki dukaan, that is the situation of Pakistan. The second thing, very important, is people, leaders make the country. There, Pakistan armed forces have made a country for themselves, unelectable, not accountable, not popular sanction, but they seized power. Ayub Khan field marshal for 10 years. Mr Yahya Khan for seven and a half years, Mr Zia ul Haq for eleven years, General Musharraf for nine years.'
'Now you have Munir, General, who was defeated in the field but became a field marshal. That is the whole scenario. The Prime Minister said, enough is enough. On the 7th of May, Indian forces made a decisive blow against only the terrorist outfit, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Muzaffarabad, 100 terrorists were killed. Remember this attack was unleashed at the dead of night around 1:30 for 20 minutes only, and no civilian casualties were there. In the morning, we informed the Pakistani establishment, raat mein aapki pitai ki hai, lekin khali terrorist camp ko hi pita hai (You were beaten up at night, but only terrorist camps were targeted), okay, no citizen has been touched at all. They did not respond. They attacked our skies, the cities through missiles. And I want you to salute our air force and armed forces. They completely blocked all the missiles, completely paralysed them,' he added.
Referring to Ayub Khan, who served as Pakistan's President from 1958 to 1969, he holds the distinction of being the country's first Field Marshal. Notably, his promotion to this highest military rank was self-appointed, following his coup and assumption of the presidency in 1958. Despite the military setbacks, Pakistan's government is projecting the outcome as a 'historic victory', General Munir's leadership during the conflict.
Ravi Shankar Prasad mentioned how 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was caught in Pakistan. He said that the terrorists who hijacked the plane to rescue Masood Azhar had been killed and Masood Azhar's family members were also killed by the Indian Armed Forces under Operation Sindoor.
He said, '9/11 in America, a gentleman known as Osama bin Laden, where was he caught? You know it very well, in Pakistan, who unleashed the entire mayhem of Al-Qaeda and the attack in New York. You remember that Daniel Pearl, the journalist, many journalists are sitting here and watching, it was slit and you'll be happy to know the terrorist who slit his neck has been slit by the missiles of India in this attack. The terrorists who hijacked the plane to rescue Masood Azhar had also been killed, and Masood Azhar's two brothers, brother-in-laws, and sisters have all been killed. Why are we here? We are here to tell the world terrorism is a global cancer.'
He emphasised that India has never been an aggressor and it has only responded. He said that the Indian government has always tried to be peaceful with Pakistan and recalled how Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited then-Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif for his swearing-in ceremony in 2014. Prasad said PM Modi even made a stopover in Pakistan on his return to India from Afghanistan after Nawaz Sharif invited him for his grandson's wedding.
Speaking about the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, he said, 'A big terrorist attack happened in Pahalgam, you know it very well, on the 22nd of April. 26 people were killed. Your religious profile was asked, and you were killed with impunity. Hindus were killed, Christians were killed, and the most shocking was, I will tell my two distinguished women MPs colleagues to elaborate on it. How would you respond if a newlywed couple, just married 10 days ago, had come for the honeymoon, and before the wife's religious identity was asked and killed in cold blood, someone was married two months ago? It was barbarism in the extreme. This time Prime Minister said enough is enough, and this explains our rationale for the visit. Terrorism is a global cancer. This is troubling the whole world, and I would like to briefly give you the background.'
Elaborating on the history of ties between India and Pakistan, he said, 'India and Pakistan have fought four conventional wars, many distinguished Indians sitting here in the front, they have seen those times. 48 First War, 65 Second War, 71 Third War, when Bangladesh was created, 99 the Kargil War. These are four conventional wars. Remember one thing, my dear fellow Indians, India was never the aggressor, India only responded. The second thing you all need to understand, we are not against the people of Pakistan, they are fine. All governments, be it the Congress or the BJP or Jawaharlal Nehru or Lal Bahadur Shastri or Indira Gandhi or Dr Manmohan Singh or Atal Bihari Vajpayee, everyone tried to have a peaceful, ultimately, dialogue with them. What happened? terrorism. Narendra Modi ji invited Nawaz Sharif in his swearing-in in 2014. When he had gone to Kabul to inaugurate the parliamentary building constructed with the assistance of India, Nawaz Sharif said, you will be flying over my skies, come, my grandson is getting married, make a stopover. He made a stopover. What happened? Uri happened, Pulwama happened, now Pahalgam.'
The Indian delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, includes BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari, Samik Bhattacharya, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress MPs Ghulam Ali Khatana and Amar Singh, former Union Minister MJ Akbar, and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran. The delegation arrived in London on Saturday (local time) as part of India's global outreach program to convey the country's firm stance against terrorism.
As many as 26 people were killed and several others were injured in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
16 minutes ago
- India.com
Rinku Singh vs Priya Saroj: Who is more EDUCATED between the two
Special information is coming out about Indian cricketer Rinku Singh and MP Priya Saroj. According to different media reports, both of them are engaged. Both are going to get married soon. However, this has not been confirmed by cricketer Rinku Singh or MP Priya Saroj. No official information has been given by both of them. But many people are writing posts about this on social media. Image credit: Source: Instagram Indian cricket team's star batsman Rinku Singh is a resident of Aligarh. He was born on 12 October 1997. Talking about education, Rinku Singh could not study much. His focus was on making a name for himself in cricket. He gave all his time to cricket. Rinku Singh has studied only till 9th class. The financial condition of his house was not good. Therefore, Rinku Singh also used to do many jobs. Talking about Priya Saroj's education, after receiving schooling from Air Force Golden Jubilee Institute, New Delhi, she did BA from Delhi University (DU) and LLB degree from Amity University, Noida. After this, she started practicing law in the Supreme Court. Currently, she represents Machhlishahr Lok Sabha seat in the Lok Sabha. Her father is also associated with politics. Priya Saroj is an MP from Akhilesh Yadav's party Samajwadi Party.
Business Standard
17 minutes ago
- Business Standard
INR stays under pressure amid dollar strength, higher oil prices
The Indian rupee declined 21 paise to settle at 85.60 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday, weighed down by a firm American currency and outflow of foreign funds. Traders would likely observe the release of the JOLTS Job Openings later on Tuesday. The local unit remained under pressure tracking negative domestic equity markets amid geopolitical uncertainties. Indian shares fell sharply on Tuesday, extending losses for a third straight session due to heightened geopolitical and trade tensions. Rising oil prices remained a concern after a second round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have ended without a major breakthrough and reports suggested that Iran is set to reject a U.S. nuclear deal proposal that would be key to easing sanctions on the major oil producer. The benchmark 30-share BSE Sensex fell 636.24 points, or 0.78 percent, to 80,737.51 while the broader NSE Nifty index closed at 24,542.50, down 174.10 points, or 0.70 percent, from its previous close. Investors are also awaiting cues from the Reserve Bank's monetary policy announcements. RBI's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will begin deliberations on its bi-monthly policy on Wednesday and the outcome is scheduled to be announced on June 6.
The Hindu
17 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Muslim Personal Law Board will not make Waqf Act an election issue but will take a call to intensify protests
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has been organising demonstrations to protest against the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 in several parts of the country, including in Hyderabad, for several weeks. The Board has sought to include women, and people belonging to other faiths in the protests, even as its president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, in an exclusive interview with Syed Mohammed, asserts that their struggle is not against Hindus, but against the government which is trying to wrest lands and properties from the control of Muslims. Edited excerpts from an interview: Q: What are your key contentions against the Waqf Amendment Act, 2025? It is our belief that the law was brought to grab the properties of Muslims. The law makes waqf properties vulnerable. The concept of waqf by user —meaning properties that have been historically used as mosques, dargahs, graveyards or madrasas — that are being used for a specific purpose, even if no documents are available, they will be considered waqf. Religious structures often predate documentation. For example, Delhi's Jama Masjid and Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid were built centuries ago. If masjid committees are now expected to produce ownership documents, it sets an impossible standard. As regards claims by the government, we believe they have a habit of lying. They can claim any land parcel. Most waqf cases are against the government. So, all waqf cases that are against the government will become disputed. Similarly, disputes were created over other Muslim places of worship, and to create them one does not need evidence. Second, the amendment says that any waqf property under the custody of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will no longer be considered waqf. Many historic mosques that serve both religious and public, as sites of tourism, interests may now function only at the government's discretion, depending on whether and at what frequency they permit namaz (prayers). Thirdly, the law seeks to dilute protection under the law of limitation. Thousands of acres will stand risk of exclusion from waqf (due to adverse possession). Many land parcels are in unauthorised possession of the government, of Hindus and even Muslims. Given the BJP's usual firmness in passing laws, how do you plan to engage the public? Demonstrations such as 'lights off' and 'human chain' were largely symbolic. Will future protests take a different form? It's true that the BJP rarely backtracks. It believes in dictatorship. It does not listen to the public. As seen with the farm laws, these were withdrawn after several farmers died. The AIMPLB's protests will be within the bounds of law. They will be peaceful. Our fight is not against our Hindu brothers but against this government. If the government remains indifferent, our working committee will decide the next course. Whether it is courting arrest, a jail bharo movement, or peaceful roadblocks. We're encouraged by the support of many Hindu brothers, and civil rights groups who stand with us. Q: The BJP claims this law will ensure transparency and empower Muslim women. How do you respond to these claims? We say that let there be a public debate. Let the Prime Minister or Home Minister attend. We'll welcome them. If that's not possible, send the Law or Minority Affairs Minister to sit with an AIMPLB delegation. Let them explain how this law benefits Muslims, women, or Pasmandas. They won't be able to. They claim Pasmandas are being denied rights. Are they not praying in masjids, which are waqf? In Islam, all Muslims are equal. Q: But caste-based discrimination among Muslims, as is the case with Pasmandas, has been studied and documented. Those who are victims of discrimination know what they've been through. Yes, there are two aspects — economic and social. Economically, Muslims are among the most backward, as various government-appointed commissions have found. Socially, some refer to Ashraf, Ajlaf, and Arzal. But these words are not found in any Islamic texts on jurisprudence. In Islam, a Syed girl can marry a non-Syed man, and no aalim will declare the nikah invalid. If the imam of a masjid is an Ansari, whom some may look down upon, but we do not, a Syed will still pray behind him. It is possible that these negative practices have entered the Muslim community on account of shared experiences, or influences from others. But Islam rejects caste. We look at it as a social evil. Q: The government has contended in courts of law, including in the case of waqf, that of 'essential religious' practice. The government is presenting this in a wrong manner. Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) should not be interpreted by the government. The opinion of those who are experts of fiqh should be taken. Essential religious practice encompasses all that is proved by Quran and hadith (tradition of Prophet Muhammad). What ramification will Act have, especially when it comes to States that are soon going for elections as is the case with Bihar? AIMPLB does not have anything to do with politics. We neither support, or oppose any party. We will not make this an election issue.. As regards one party supporting (the then Bill), or another opposing it, it is unfortunate many political leaders do not have a conscience. The AIMPLB has stressed on unity among faiths as regards demonstrations, and called upon varied groups to fight against the Act. If you see, a Jain temple was demolished recently in Mumbai. Secondly Buddhists in Bodh Gaya have been demonstrating. They want members of their own faiths in the management. The problem will exacerbate. It began with minorities, including Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs. In fact, I am certain that it will eventually affect Hindus as well.
