Latest news with #OperationsSindoor
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"We are a land of Peace, don't seek war but will face it with courage: Shashi Tharoor at Indian Embassy in US
Washington, DC [US], June 5 (ANI): Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an all-party delegation to the United States, said on Thursday during an interaction at the Indian Embassy in Washington, DC, that Mahatma Gandhi's presence in capitals across the world reflects India's identity as a country of non-violence, and added that the delegation shared India's position on terrorism in multiple meetings with US legislators and officials. Speaking at the interaction, Tharoor said, 'Symbolically, I'd say that in every place we've gone to, we've been paying tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. What's striking is that there is no capital where there isn't a bust of Mahatma Gandhi. It reminds the world that we are a land of peace and non-violence. We don't desire war, we don't seek it. But if it is thrust upon us, we will face it with courage, and Mahatma Gandhi taught us all not to live in fear, and we will not live in fear...' Tharoor emphasised that while the Indian delegation did not seek a formal Senate resolution during its visit to Capitol Hill, the primary goal was to engage with those open to dialogue and present India's viewpoint. 'What was interesting was that in all three sets of conversations, we got very positive feedback from all the this, we didn't have a single sceptical or negative voice. On the contrary, we got very positive responses. The two key lines I would use are, number one - total support and solidarity for India and its fight against terrorism and second - complete understanding of India's right to defend itself against terrorism,' he asserted. Reflecting on the Pahalgam terror attack, Tharoor underscored that India does not act on conjecture. 'India doesn't go to war on suppositions and hypotheses. Our intelligence agencies have identified at least four of the five perpetrators (of the Pahalgam attack), and they know their identities. They even have pictures because some of these people have been involved in other incidents.' During the interaction, he added, 'They have confirmed to us that two are Pakistanis and two others are locals who have exfiltrated from Indian Kashmir to Pakistan 10 years ago, and they seem to have come back for this purpose and gone back again. We have all this information, and we don't, frankly, take such a major step as Operations Sindoor without very serious grounds for doing so.' On India's position regarding talks with Pakistan, Tharoor said, 'We cannot talk to people who are pointing a gun at our heads. Until and unless there is a serious effort being made by Pakistan to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism, to arrest some of the well-known terrorists, freeze their bank accounts, shut down their training Pakistan won't do all of these things, why should we talk to them? I often say we can talk to Pakistan in practically every language they speak there. We don't need a third party to come between us and help us talk to them, but we won't talk to them until they indicate that they're worth talking to.' Tharoor also mentioned that on their way to Guyana, the delegation stopped in New York to visit the 9/11 Memorial. 'We showed our solidarity with the victims of terrorism everywhere since, as you know, many, many nationalities lost people in that attack of 9/11,' he said. Earlier today, Tharoor held a high-level interaction with the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) in Washington, D.C., as part of its diplomatic outreach following Operation Sindoor. The delegation, which met with key U.S. lawmakers including HFAC Chairman Brian Mast, Ranking Member Gregory Meeks, Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove, and Congressman Bill Huizenga, received strong bipartisan support and condemnation of the recent terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam region. HFAC Chairman Brian Mast underlined the depth of bipartisan consensus on supporting India. 'This was a very important meeting. This is a bipartisan delegation from the House of Representatives receiving India. We are proud to receive our friend and our ally. Every one of us strongly condemned the terrorist attacks that took place. There's no room in this world for those kinds of attacks,' he said. The delegation led by Shashi Tharoor arrived in the US on Wednesday. It includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, and Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from the BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora. The all-party delegation reached the US after completing their visit to Brazil. Their purpose is to brief key US stakeholders on Operation Sindoor, India's diplomatic effort launched to combat terrorism and disinformation following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. India initiated Operation Sindoor on May 7 as a strong military response to the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, carried out by Pakistan-backed terrorists, which resulted in 26 deaths and several injuries. (ANI)
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"We're returning with positive feeling that Greece stands with us': DMK MP Kanimozhi
Athens [Greece], May 29 (ANI): DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, leading an all-party delegation, said they highlighted India's suffering from cross-border terrorism by Pakistan during their visit to Greece. Kanimozhi emphasised the need for the European Union and the United Nations Security Council to recognise and hold accountable state-sponsored terrorism. She added that India's strong historical ties with Greece helped convey their message, and they left with a positive sense of support from Greece. Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Kanimozhi said, 'We have been able to convey that India has been hurt by cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, and now we can no longer distinguish between terror and state-sponsored terrorism. We've also emphasised that the European Union and the United Nations Security Council must take cognisance and ensure accountability... Historically, we have a trade and deep-rooted relationship with Greece, so they have understood where we come from and what we're trying to say. We're returning with a positive feeling that Greece stands with us...' AAP MP Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal, part of the same delegation, said the team received strong support during their visit to Greece. Mittal added that the Indian diaspora in Greece voiced their support for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, affirming India's image as a peace-loving nation. '...We have received a good response. All have said with an open heart that they will support India on all the national and international forums and will also condemn the Pakistan-sponsored terrorsim... The Indian diaspora here said that we support India, PM Modi and will tell the world that we are a peace-loving country,' Mittal said. While Capt Brijesh Chowta (Retd) said India and Greece, as ancient civilizational nations, naturally share common values. Speaking about India's outreach under Operation Sindoor, Chowta explained that the mission is not only focused on countering Pakistan but also aims to dismantle the broader terror infrastructure. '...Greece and India are two civilizational naturally, we would expect a country like Greece to support India's endeavour. What we're trying to do through Operations Sindoor is not just about dealing with a state like Pakistan, which is, of course, our primary target. But Operation Sindoor is also about uprooting the entire terror infrastructure. It's about leading the battle against terrorism, which India is doing in a very Dharmic way,' Chowta said. Former Indian Ambassador to the European Union, Manjeev Singh Puri, emphasised that all civilisational nations must unite against terrorism and bring perpetrators to justice. Puri stated that Greece has a deep understanding of terrorism and is fully aware of the role Pakistan has played in spreading it globally. '...All civilizational nations must be against terrorism, must bring terrorists to justice and must ensure that terrorism has no plan. Greece has its own understanding of terrorism, and a very strong understanding. They also know the country from which terrorism has spread all over the world, and I mean strictly. I should say Pakistan. They are well aware of it. They've been strong in telling us that they stand with us,' Puri said. The delegation, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, also includes Rajeev Rai (Samajwadi Party), Mian Altaf Ahmad (Jammu and Kashmir National Conference), Brijesh Chowta (BJP), Prem Chand Gupta (Rashtriya Janata Dal), Ashok Kumar Mittal (Aam Aadmi Party), and Former envoys Manjeev S Puri and Jawed Ashraf. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia, and Russia. The multi-party delegation, consisting of seven groups led by one MP each, has been initiated to counter global misinformation and highlight India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism. (ANI)
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Tough life': SC directs IAF not to release woman officer who served in Operations Sindoor, Balakot till further orders
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court directed the government and the Indian Air Force (IAF) not to release Wing Commander Nikita Pandey from service, after she alleged discrimination in being denied permanent commission despite her critical role in Operation Balakot and Operation Sindoor. Noting a "tough life" for Short Service Commission (SSC) officers, the bench in "layman's suggestion" said its "uncertainty may not be good for the armed forces." A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notice to the Centre and the IAF on Thursday, seeking their response on Pandey's plea, news agency PTI reported. She claimed that although she ranked second in the country among expert fighter controllers and had served over 13.5 years, she was being discharged due to a 2019 policy change that denied her a permanent commission. 'Our Air Force is one of the best organisations in the world. Officers are very commendable. The quality of coordination they have exhibited - I think it's unparalleled. Therefore, we always salute them. They are a big asset for the nation. They are the nation, in a way. Because of them, we are able to sleep at night,' Justice Kant said. The bench expressed concern over the uncertainty faced by SSC officers, stating that a long tenure without permanent commission needed to be addressed. 'That sense of uncertainty may not be good for the armed forces. It's a layman's suggestion, because we are not experts. On minimum benchmarks, there can't be a compromise,' Justice Kant added. Representing Pandey, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy argued that her client was an expert fighter controller, who had played a key role in the Integrated Air Command and Control Systems (IACCS) deployed during Operations Sindoor and Balakot. Pandey's case, Guruswamy said, was affected by policy shifts that gave her just a month's notice to end her career despite her stellar service record. Appearing for the government and the IAF, additional solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said that the officer had been found unfit by the selection board and had approached the apex court directly without first filing a representation. She also confirmed that a second selection board would now review Pandey's case. Bhati, herself from a military background, acknowledged the difficult position of SSC officers but explained, 'There are a limited number of posts. It's a very steep pyramid structure.' She noted that typically, 90–95 per cent of officers considered for permanent commission are found fit, but only a few miss out due to comparative merit. Justice Kant responded, urging a more accommodating approach, 'You can have a policy of taking that many SCC officers who can be accommodated in the Permanent Commission, if they are found suitable. If you have 100 SCC officers, you should have the capacity to take 100 of them to the permanent commission.' He also emphasised that women officers have performed exceedingly well and highlighted the need for systemic capacity to retain them. The court directed that Wing Commander Pandey must not be released from service until further orders and posted the matter for hearing on August 6. However, the bench clarified that no equity would be created in the officer's favour at this stage and that all contentions remain open.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- The Hindu
Seven terrorists shot dead in J&K's Samba as BSF foils infiltration bid
The Border Security Force (BSF) foiled an infiltration attempt along the Pakistan border in the Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), in the early hours of Thursday (May 8, 2025), killing at least seven terrorists, according to a BSF official. 'At around 2300 hours on 8 May 2025, BSF foiled a major infiltration bid at the International Boundary in Samba district, J&K,' BSF Jammu posted on X. Operations Sindoor LIVE: BSF says 7 terrorists killed in infiltration bid along border; Pak Rangers post destroyed The infiltrators who were in a large group were trying to enter the country with the support of cover fire provided by the Pakistan Rangers from its Dhandhar post, the official said. 'Alert BSF troops thwarted the infiltration bid and killed at least seven terrorists, causing extensive damage to the Pakistan Post Dhandhar,' said the official. The movement of the infiltrators was detected by the surveillance grid following which BSF swooped into action. The official shared a video clip of the destruction of the Pakistani post. A heightened alert has been sounded across the western border following Operation Sindoor on May 7, when Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes at nine terror infrastructure camps in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
India.com
08-05-2025
- General
- India.com
Operations Sindoor: Complete blackout in Srinagar
Operations Sindoor: Complete blackout in Srinagar For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on
