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India.com
4 hours ago
- Politics
- India.com
Defeated in Field, Now Field Marshal: BJP MP Ravi Shankar Takes Dig At Pakistan For Promoting Asim Munir
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is leading the all-party delegation in the United Kingdom, ridiculed Pakistan for promoting Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir to Field Marshal despite recent military and strategic failures during Operation Sindoor, saying that despite Munir's defeat in the field, he was promoted. In May this year, Pakistan government promoted Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of field marshal for his role during Operation Sindoor. Addressing the Indian diaspora in London on Sunday, Prasad said that Pakistan's problem lies in its lack of democracy, as unelected and unaccountable military leaders have consistently seized power. "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," ANI quoted Prasad as saying. Accusing Pakistan of sheltering terrorists, Prasad pointed out that the 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden was caught in Pakistan. He added that the terrorists who hijacked the plane to rescue Masood Azhar have also been killed in Pakistan, along with Masood Azhar's two brothers, brothers-in-law, and sisters during Operation Sindoor. "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 said. He stressed that India has always sought peace with Pakistan and has never been the aggressor, but has only responded to threats by Pakistan. "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 dialogue with them. What happened? Terrorism,' Prasad said. The Indian delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, arrived in London on Saturday (local time) as part of India's global outreach program to convey the country's firm stance against terrorism. The delegation 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 On April 22, twenty-six innocent people were killed and several others were injured in a terror attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the terror attack, targeting nine terror infrastructure sites 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.
India Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Will Pakistan hand over Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar? Top focus on Gaurav Sawant's show
This episode of India First focusses on India's demand for Pakistan to extradite UN-designated terrorists Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar, the masterminds behind the 26/11 Mumbai and Pulwama terror attacks. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh challenges Pakistan to prove its seriousness about dialogue by meeting this demand. The programme delves into the implications of this demand, the broader context of India-Pakistan relations, and the ultimatum that future talks will only address terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It also discusses India's response to Pakistani terrorism from the Kargil War to recent strikes, highlighting a shift from strategic restraint to controlled escalation. Former Army Chief General Vij underscores the importance of not trusting Pakistan and discusses military capabilities to reclaim PoK.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
'Pakistan will face Indian Navy's firepower if it resorts to anything evil': Rajnath Singh
Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that India will use the firepower of its navy in response to any future aggression by Pakistan. Addressing officers and sailors onboard India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, off the Goa coast, Rajnath Singh lauded Operation Sindoor as the country's frontal assault against terrorism. 'Operation Sindoor is not just a military action, but India's frontal assault against terrorism, and if Pakistan resorts to anything evil or unethical, it will, this time, face the firepower and ire of the Indian Navy," Rajnath Singh said at the event. He also warned that India will use every method to root out the menace of terrorism if Pakistan instigates any terror act against India. Also Read | Pakistan should hand over Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed to India: Rajnath Singh 'Now, if Pakistan instigates any terrorist attack against India, it will have to bear the consequences and face defeat. India will not hesitate. It will use every method to root out the menace of terrorism,' he said. During Friday's event, Rajnath Singh lauded Operation Sindoor, saying that the armed forces' speed, depth, and clarity in the mission were remarkable. 'Our strike was so powerful that Pakistan began pleading with the entire world to stop India,' he said. Also Read | PM Modi's latest warning to Pakistan from Bihar: 'Fight against terror has neither ended nor halted' The defence minister also lauded the navy's role in Operation Sindoor, saying that when the Indian Air Force destroyed the terror bases on Pakistani soil, the Navy's aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea, its unmatched maritime domain awareness and supremacy confined the Pakistani Navy to its own shores. 'Our Western Fleet ships deployed at sea, within 96 hours of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, carried out successful firings of surface-to-surface & surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes on the western & eastern coast. It demonstrated the combat readiness of our platforms, systems & crew and our intent & readiness, forcing the enemy to come into a defensive posture,' he said. Operation Sindoor was India's direct military response to the April 22 terror strike at Pahalgam in Kashmir that killed 26 civilians in what was the worst attack on civilians since the 26/11 Mumbai strikes. India launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The pre-dawn strikes – which killed at least 100 terrorists – sparked a series of attacks and counter attacks across the western border, involving fighter jets, missiles, armed drones, and fierce artillery and rocket duels. Also Read | In 4 days, India's 'Operation Sindoor' caused massive damage in Pakistan In one such counterattack on the night of May 9-10, the air force struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. After four days of fighting, military hostilities were stopped on May 10 as the two nations reached an understanding.
United News of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Hand over Hafiz Syed, Masood Azhar to India if you want talks, Rajnath tells Pakistan
Panaji, May 30 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday asked Pakistan to hand over terrorists Hafiz Syed and Masood Azhar to India if Islamabad is serious about talks with New Delhi. 'If Pakistan is serious about talks, it should hand over terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India so that justice is served,' the Defence Minister said addressing officers and sailors onboard INS Vikrant, India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, off Goa coast. 'Both of them are not only in India's list of Most Wanted Terrorists, they are also UN Designated Terrorists. Tahawwur Rana, an accused in the Mumbai attacks, has been brought to India recently. Hafiz Saeed is also guilty of the Mumbai attacks, and justice must be done for his crime,' he said. On Pakistan's repeated offer of talks, the Defence Minjister reaffirmed India's stand saying the talks could be only on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and terrorism. 'If there are talks, it will only be on terrorism and PoK,' he said. He said Pakistan needs to understand that time is up for the dangerous game of terrorism it has been playing since Independence. 'Now, if Pakistan instigates any terrorist act against India, it will have to bear the consequences and face defeat. India will not hesitate. It will use every method to root out the menace of terrorism,' he warned. He said "anti-India activities" were being carried out openly from Pakistani soil and India is completely free to carry out every kind of operation against terrorists on both sides of the border and the sea. 'Today, the whole world is acknowledging India's right to protect its citizens against terrorism,' he said, emphasising that Pakistan must uproot the nursery of terrorism operating on its soil with its own hands. Praising the Indian Navy's role in the Operation Sindoor, he said when Indian Air Force destroyed the terror bases on Pakistani soil, the Navy's aggressive deployment in the Arabian Sea, its unmatched maritime domain awareness and supremacy confined the Pakistani Navy to its own shores. 'Our Western Fleet ships deployed at sea within 96 hours of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, carried out successful firings of surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes on the western and eastern coast. It demonstrated the combat readiness of our platforms, systems and crew and our intent and readiness, forcing the enemy to come into a defensive posture,' he said. UNI RBE/RB SSP
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'No country backed India': Congress says BJP's 'foreign policy failed' post-Operation Sindoor
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government over its handling of foreign affairs in the wake of , accusing it of diplomatic failure and a compromised stance on national security. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "The result of our failed foreign policy was seen post-Pahalgam, during Operation Sindoor. No country called Pakistan a terrorist state; this is the result of your failed foreign policy. Then you launched Operation Sindoor and no country gave a statement in your favour. Now, after Operation Sindoor, Kuwait has lifted visa restrictions on Pakistan. Iran, UAE, and Gulf countries are signing MoUs with Pakistan, and the most shocking thing is that yesterday, Russia signed an MoU with Pakistan to revive its very old steel mill, under which Pakistan will get $2.6 billion from Russia. .. This is the result of your failed foreign policy..." Meanwhile, Congress MP , part of an all-party delegation to Colombia, expressed disappointment over the Colombian government's condolences for those killed in Pakistan after India's May 7 counterstrike, saying, 'There can be no equivalence between those who attack and those who defend.' He said India acted in self-defence following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. 'We were only exercising our right of self-defence,' he added. Tharoor also highlighted Pakistan's support for terrorists and showed images of uniformed Pakistani officials attending terrorist funerals. 'That is the extent of complicity…,' he said, stressing India's resolve through Operation Sindoor targeting terror bases in Pakistan and PoK. The opposition's criticism comes amid a series of political confrontations following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public address in Gujarat, where he said Operation Sindoor was documented on camera to ensure "no one at home asks for proof." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Also read: PM Modi declared, "Until now, what we used to call a proxy war, after the scenes witnessed post-May 6, we can no longer make the mistake of calling it a proxy war." He added that the terrorists targeted in the strikes were given military honours in Pakistan, indicating direct state involvement. Responding to the Prime Minister's remarks, Congress questioned why top terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar were not neutralised. "To date, we have not received an answer to that – What happened to the terrorists of Poonch, Ganderbal, Gulmarg and Pahalgam?... How did Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar escape?" asked Khera, further alleging that "this government has outsourced the entire politics, political discourse, foreign policy to trolls." Earlier, Rahul Gandhi also accused the Centre of tipping off Pakistan before the strikes. Sharing an old video of external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Gandhi wrote on May 17, "Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it." He followed up on May 27 with another post asking, "How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew?" The ministry of external affairs (MEA) denied Gandhi's claims, calling them a 'misrepresentation of facts.' The ministry clarified that Pakistan was warned 'in the early phase after Operation Sindoor's commencement,' not before the operation began. The controversy was further fuelled by US President Donald Trump's comments, referenced by Congress, that he had mediated ceasefire talks between India and Pakistan. Khera described this as "a very dangerous comment,' and said, 'sindoor ka sauda hota raha aur pradhan mantri chup rahe,' implying secret negotiations during the operation. Also read:
