Latest news with #TRF
India Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
India not starting a war, just retaliating for terror: Shashi Tharoor
India's Operation Sindoor is not an act of war but a measured response to a vile act of terror, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on Monday, as he led an all-party delegation to Brazil. In a firm diplomatic message, Tharoor underscored that the Pahalgam terror attack -- which claimed 26 lives -- was aimed at destabilising Kashmir's booming economy and sowing communal discord across whole idea was to signal that we are not trying to start a war,' Tharoor told Brazilian Ambassador Celso Amorim in Brasilia. 'We are just conducting retribution for an act of terror, which was a really vile act... It was horrendous and meant to do the maximum possible damage to India.'#WATCH | Brasilia, Brazil: While interacting with Ambassador Celso Amorim, Head Adviser of the Special Advisory to the President of the Republic, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor spoke on #OperationSindoorHe said, "The whole idea was to signal that we are not trying to start a war, ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2025Tharoor, speaking as head of the visiting delegation, emphasised India's stand against terrorism and the importance of rallying global understanding in the wake of increasing cross-border attacks. 'The reason we have come is very much to seek greater sympathy and understanding on the part of our friends, and also countries that are not necessarily our friends... but you are in the high friend category,' Tharoor said, referring to Brazil's recent outreach and President Lula da Silva's personal phone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the ROLE UNDER SCRUTINYadvertisementIndia has accused Pakistan-based terror groups of orchestrating the Pahalgam attack, with The Resistance Front (TRF) — a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)—claiming responsibility. Tharoor highlighted India's ongoing efforts to expose the TRF's role at the United Nations, where India has repeatedly provided intelligence to the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee.#WATCH | Brasilia, Brazil: While interacting with Ambassador Celso Amorim, Head Adviser of the Special Advisory to the President of the Republic, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "I want to say once again if Pakistan had not chosen to expand the conflict, we would not have ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2025'LeT has created this front called the Resistance Front,' Tharoor explained. 'We have been reporting about the Resistance Front to the UN Sanctions Committee time after time... but when we encouraged our friends in the Security Council to name the group in the April 25 statement, Pakistan — sadly with China's support — had the name removed.'He lamented that neither India nor Brazil currently sits on the Security Council, a gap he suggested should be closed. 'We have to change that situation. Both of us should be on the Council together,' he had previously informed the UN about LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad operating through smaller entities like TRF, pointing out in its May and November 2024 reports how these fronts act as facades for banned terrorist groups. The consistent denial of acknowledgment in international statements—allegedly due to Pakistani and Chinese pressure—has sparked calls for more assertive global was no action to bring the perpetrators to justice, or even to look for them in Pakistan,' Tharoor said. 'So finally, the government decided to send a strong message.'Operation Sindoor, he stressed, is that message. Not a declaration of war, but a declaration that terror will not go Indian delegation landed in Brazil on June 1 and was received by Charge d'Affaires Sandeep Kumar Kujur at the Indian Embassy in Brasilia. After meetings in Brazil, the delegation is set to continue its diplomatic outreach with a visit to the United States starting InMust Watch
India Gazette
6 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Not trying to start a war, just conducting retribution for act of terror": Shashi Tharoor on Operation Sindoor
Brasilia [Brazil], June 2 (ANI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the all-party delegation, said on Monday that the whole idea of Operation Sindoor was to signal that India is not trying to start war, but just conducting 'retribution for an act of terror,' in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. This comes during his interaction with Ambassador Celso Amorim, Head Adviser of the Special Advisory to the President of the Republic in Brasilia. 'The whole idea was to signal that we are not trying to start a war, we are just conducting retribution for an act of terror, which was a really vile act, 26 people being was horrendous and it was meant to do the maximum possible damage to India, to disrupt the Kashmiri economy, which was booming, to end the prospects of tourism flourishing in to perhaps create a communal backlash in India...,' Tharoor said. The Congress leader highlighted India's strong stance against terrorism, saying that they have come here to understand the understanding on the part of friends and countries that are not necessarily our friends. ' The reason we have come is very much to seek greater sympathy and understanding on the part of our friends, and also countries that are not necessarily our friend, but you are in the high friend category, for the situations in the recent months in particular the really serious attack on country by terrorists in Kashmir...I must say that, seeing the statement by Brazil, we were also very touched by President telephoning our PM, personally, to express his concern and was no action to bring the perpetrators to justice and even to look for them in finally govt decided to send a strong a message...,' Tharoor further said. Tharoor talked of Pakistan's pressure to remove references to TRF, a front for LeT, in UN Security Council press statement on April 25. TRF had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack. '...LeT (Lashkar-e-Taiba) has created this front called Resistance Front, we have been reporting about Resistance Front to UN Sanctions Committee, time after India encouraged our friends on Security Council to mention the Resistance Front in the press statement that Security Council govt, I am sorry to say that with the support of your friend in China, took out the name, so there is not even a are not on the Security Council, neither are you. We have to change that situation. Both of us should be on the Council together,' he said. A group calling itself The Resistance Front (TRF) has claimed responsibility for the attack. This group is a front for the UN-proscribed Pakistani terrorist group, Lashkar-e-Taiba. Notably, India had given inputs about the TRF in the half-yearly report to the Monitoring Team of the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee in May and November 2024, bringing out its role as a cover for Pakistan-based terrorist groups. Earlier too, in December 2023, India had informed the monitoring team about LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad operating through small terror groups such as the TRF. Pakistan's pressure to remove references to TRF in the April 25 UN Security Council Press Statement is notable in this regard. On June 1, the delegation led by Tharoor was welcomed by Sandeep Kumar Kujur, Charge d'Affaires of the Indian Embassy in Brazil after landing there. The delegation is set to leave for United States tomorrow. (ANI)
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Pakistan-Backed TRF-LeT-PMML Nexus Sums Up 21st-Century Hybrid Warfare: Sources
Last Updated: This situation mirrors LeT's 2008 Mumbai attacks, executed under pseudonyms like Deccan Mujahideen, the sources said The thin line between Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and The Resistance Front (TRF) was shattered following rallies in Pakistan on May 28, Indian intelligence sources have told CNN-News18. The world must take note of these global jihadists backed by the state of Pakistan and its military leadership, they added. 'The TRF-LeT-PMML nexus epitomises 21st-century hybrid warfare, where TRF masks violence, Pakistan Markazi Muslim League spreads ideology, and the Pakistani state ensures deniability. This ecosystem is evidenced by the increasing frequency of attacks from Pahalgam to Reasi, carried out with complete deniability," said a source. This situation mirrors LeT's 2008 Mumbai attacks, executed under pseudonyms like Deccan Mujahideen, the sources said. LeT and TRF employ grey zone tactics, such as disinformation and proxy attacks, similar to Russia's hybrid warfare in Crimea, they added. 'The merging of operational roles between Lashkar and TRF marks their foray into hybrid warfare, blending kinetic terrorism with political legitimisation and state-backed impunity," a source said. 'The TRF-LeT-PMML alliance operates a successful hybrid mechanism." According to the sources, TRF functions as LeT's operational front, claiming attacks like the Pahalgam massacre, where 26 people, mostly Indian Hindus, were killed, providing LeT with deniability. Saifullah Khalid later boasted about the Pahalgam attack at a Pakistan Markazi Muslim League rally, claiming global recognition. PMML rallies are attended by LeT leaders, such as Saifullah Khalid (PMML president) and Talha Saeed (son of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed), said sources. This illustrates the merging of terrorist ideology with mainstream politics, with even the Punjab assembly speaker present on stage, they added. 'They have state approval to celebrate events like Youm-e-Takbeer, Pakistan's nuclear test day, which grants LeT legitimacy while laundering recruitment and funding through activities like blood donation camps," a source told CNN-News18. 'LeT finances TRF operations via PMML front companies and charities like Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). Earlier US treasury designations confirm PMML as an LeT alias. Gulf donations often reach Pakistan, where ISI allocates significant funds to TRF and LeT for operations in Kashmir. TRF and LeT operate in phases, as seen in the Pahalgam attack. Phase 1: TRF claimed responsibility, framing the attack as indigenous resistance. Phase 2: LeT validation, with Khalid admitting the role at a PMML rally, and Indian intelligence tracing attackers to LeT safe houses." In June 2024, TRF claimed a bus attack on Hindu pilgrims in Reasi, but forensic analysis linked the weapons to LeT smuggling networks. This tactic of targeting minorities to incite communal conflict is similar to LeT's 2008 Mumbai strategy, said sources. Post-2019, when India abrogated Article 370 sections in Jammu and Kashmir, LeT created TRF as a secular front, sources said. Despite the branding, 80% of TRF cadres are trained in LeT's Pakistani camps, they added.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Owaisi slams Pak's ‘stupid jokers' over fake victory pic, warns of deep state threat
Hyderabad: Hyderabad MP and AIMIM president launched a scathing attack on Pakistan's leadership, calling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir "stupid jokers" for sharing a doctored image of a Chinese army drill and passing it off as a Pakistani military triumph over India. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking in Kuwait as part of an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda for global outreach against terrorism, Owaisi ridiculed Pakistan's propaganda attempts. "I am telling you a fact. Yesterday (May 26), Pakistan's army chief gifted a photo to PM Sharif. The President of Pakistan, the Speaker of the National Assembly were all there. These stupid jokers want to compete with India. They gave a 2019 Chinese army drill photo claiming it as a Pakistani victory over India. They cannot even produce a proper photograph," he said. Switching to Urdu, Owaisi added: "Nakal karne ke liye akal bhi chahiye. In naalaayakhon ko akal bhi nahin hai," mocking Pakistan's alleged attempt to fake a military success. Switching back to English, he stressed: "You just imagine—the PM, President, Speaker, and so-called Field Marshal are all there, and the photo they present is from a 2019 Chinese PHL-O3 drill. This is what Pakistan indulges in. Don't believe even a word they say—trust our foreign ministry." Responding to a question about Indians and Pakistanis working in Kuwait, Owaisi said: "You are here to work. But your love for your country cannot be questioned. You know how to draw the line and correct misinformation politely." Owaisi also highlighted India's proactive stance on the TRF (The Resistance Front), which he said is a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba. "We told the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee in Dec 2023, and again in May and Nov 2024, that TRF is a Pakistan-based terror group. Pakistan tried hard to keep TRF's name out of the UN Security Council statement. Why would they do that unless they had something to hide?" On IMF funding, the AIMIM leader warned: "Our concern is that the $2 billion loan Pakistan is receiving will end up with the Pakistan military. It is well known this money reaches core commanders."
Scoop
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Squabbling Siblings: India, Pakistan And Operation Sindoor
On April 22, militants from The Resistance Front (TRF), a group accused by Indian authorities of being linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group, slaughtered 26 tourists in the resort town of Pahalgam in the Indian administered portion of Kashmir. This came as a rude shock to the Indian military establishment, who decided that rebellious sentiments in the region had declined. (In March 2025, an assessment concluded that a mere 77 active militants were busying themselves on India's side of the border.) The feeling of cooling tensions induced an air of complacency. Groups such as the TRF, along with a fruit salad of insurgent outfits – the Kashmir Tigers, the People's Anti-Fascist Front, and the United Liberation Front of Kashmir – were all spawned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's August 2019 revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted Kashmir singular autonomy. TRF has been particularly, and violently opposed, to the resettlement of the Kashmiri pandits, which they see as an effort to alter the region's demography. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading The murderous incident raised the obvious question: Would Modi pay lip service to the 1972 Shimla Agreement, one that divided Kashmir into two zones of administration separated by a Line of Control? (A vital feature to that agreement is an understanding that both powers resolve their disputes without the need for third parties.) The answers came promptly enough. First came India's suspension of the vital Indus Water Treaty, an essential agreement dealing with the distribution of water from India to Pakistan. Pakistan reciprocated firmly by suspending the Shimla Agreement, expelling Indian military diplomats, halting visa exemptions for Indian citizens and closing the Wagah border for trade. Hindu nationalism proved particularly stirred, and Modi duly fed its cravings. On May 7, India commenced Operation Sindoor, involving what were purportedly precision missile attacks on nine militant camps in Pakistan and the Jammu and Kashmir area controlled by Islamabad. The operation itself had a scent of gendered manipulation, named after the vermillion used by married Hindu women to symbolise the durable existence of their husbands. Two female military officers – Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh – were tasked with managing the media pack. The Indian briefings celebrated the accuracy of the strikes on what were said to be the sites of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. 31 suspected terrorists were said to have perished, though Pakistan insisted that civilians had been killed in this apparent feast of forensic precision. India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would have none of it: Indian forces had only 'struck only those who harmed our innocents'. The next day, it was operations against Pakistan's air defence systems in Lahore that stole the show. The inevitable Pakistani retaliation followed on May 10, with the Indian return serve against 11 Pakistan air bases. What followed is one version: Pakistan's military broke into a sweat. A cessation of hostilities was sought and achieved. Armchair pundits on the Indian side celebrated: India had successfully targeted the terrorist cells supported by Pakistan. If one is to read Anubhav Shankar Goswami seriously, Operation Sindoor was a stroke of genius, threatening 'the Pakistan Army's strategic shield against terrorists'. More accurately, this was a lovely little spilling of blood with weaponry between callow sibling throats, a pattern familiar since 1947. The two countries have fought four full blown conflicts, two over Kashmir. Along the way, they have made the world a lot safer by acquiring nuclear weapons. There was something for everyone in this retaliatory and counter retaliatory feast. India claimed strategic proficiency, keeping censorship on the matter tight. Pakistan could claim some prowess in shooting down five Indian jets, using Chinese weaponry including the J-10. With pride and pomp, they could even appoint Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir to the post of Field Marshal, an absurdly ceremonial gesture that gave the impression that the army had restored its tattered pride. It was to be expected that this was ample reward for his, in the words of the government, 'strategic leadership and decisive role' in defeating India. The only ones to be notably ignored in this display of subcontinental machismo were the Kashmiris themselves, who face, in both the Pakistan and Indian administered zones, oppressive anti-terrorism laws, discriminatory practices and suppression of dissent and free speech. Ultimately, the bickering children were convinced to end their playground antics. The fact that the overbearing headmaster, the unlikely US President Donald Trump, eventually brought himself to bear on proceedings must have irritated them. After four days of conflict, the US role in defusing matters between the powers became evident. Kashmir, which India has long hoped to keep in museum-like storage, away from the international stage, had been enlivened. Trump even offered his services to enable New Delhi and Islamabad a chance to reach a more enduring peace. Praise for the president followed, notably from those wishing to see the Kashmir conflict resolved. In one sense, there seems little reason to worry. These are countries seemingly linked to sandpit grievances, scrapping, gouging and complaining about their lot. Even amidst juvenile spats, they can bicker yet still sign enduring ceasefires. In February 2021, for instance, the militaries of both countries cobbled together a ceasefire which ended four months of cross-border skirmishes. A mere two violations of the agreement (how proud they must have been) was recorded for the rest of the year. In 2022, a solitary incident of violation was noted. A needlessly florid emphasis was made on the conflict by Indian political scientist Pratap Bhanu Meta. This was an encounter lacking 'decisive victory and no clear political end'. It merely reinstated 'the India-Pakistan hyphenation'. In one sense, this element of hyphenation – the international perception of two subcontinental powers in an eternal, immature squabble – was something India seemed to be marching away from. But Prime Minister Modi, despite his grander visions for India, is a sectarian fanatic. History shows that fanaticism tends to shrink, rather than enlarge the mind. In that sense, he is in good company with those other uniformed fanatics in uniform.
