Latest news with #Wadettiwar
India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Only work of Congress leaders is to lower army's morale": Maharashtra CM Fadnavis slams Wadettiwar statement
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 21 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar over his statement criticising the Central government. Condemning Wadettiwar's statement, the Chief Minister stated that the only work of Congress leaders is to lower the 'army's morale.' Addressing a press conference, CM Fadnavis stated, 'As I have said earlier, what can be said to fools? Congress leaders do not see the difference between things; for them, there is no difference between drones used by farmers in the fields and combat drones. So, what answer should be given to such people? The only work of Congress leaders is to lower the army's morale.' Earlier today, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar criticised the Central government for not being transparent on whether the Indian forces sustained any loss or casualties after the border tensions flared up following the Pahalgam terror attack. He mentioned that 'questions are being raised' about any loss to the Indian forces, saying that he has heard that Pakistan used cheap China-made drones while India responded with costly missiles. 'There are discussions that they (Pakistan) launched 5,000 China-made drones, and the value of each drone was Rs 15,000. To destroy each drone worth Rs 15,000, we launched missiles worth Rs 15 lakh. This was a part of China's tactic, these are the discussions, however I don't know the truth,' Wadettiwar said during a press conference. He further alleged that India agreed to a cessation of hostilities only on the directions of the United States, but the people deserve to know whether any Rafale fighter jets were downed or not. 'Now questions are being raised about the damage done to us. You (Centre) shook hands on the directions of US, the Pakistani soldier we had was given back, now to ask questions regarding this what is so wrong with it in a democracy? That we should know how many casualties there are, how many soldiers are hurt, how many Rafales have been downed,' the Congress leader mentioned. Demanding that the Centre clarify that Operation Sindoor was beneficial for India while also being honest about any losses to our side, he said, 'There are also discussions that our three-four Rafale jets were shot down, the government should give a clarification that there were no losses and that we benefited from this (Operation Sindoor), that this is the truth, we damaged Pakistan this much.' 'After a battle, I don't think it is weakness to talk about this. This is the first time in India that after a war the party is taking out a victory rally, there are doubts in people's mind about this BJP government,' he added. In response to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, in which precision strikes destroyed terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoK) and eliminated nearly 100 terror operatives at key bases in Pakistan. India responded effectively to subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases. On May 10, an understanding regarding the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was announced. India has said that the agreement on stopping military action was done bilaterally and Pakistan DGMO had reached out to his Indian counterpart. (ANI)
India Gazette
21-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Congress' Vijay Wadettiwar demands Centre clarify damage to Indian forces during Op Sindoor
Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], May 21 (ANI): Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Wednesday criticised the Central government for not being transparent on whether the Indian forces sustained any loss or casualties after the border tensions flared up following the Pahalgam terror attack. He mentioned that 'questions are being raised' about any loss to the Indian forces, saying that he has heard that Pakistan used cheap China-made drones while India responded with costly missiles. 'There are discussions that they (Pakistan) launched 5,000 China-made drones and the value of each drone was Rs 15,000. To destroy each drone worth Rs 15,000, we launched missiles worth Rs 15 lakh. This was a part of China's tactic, these are the discussions, however I don't know the truth,' Wadettiwar said during a press conference. He further alleged that India agreed to a cessation of hostilities only on the directions of the United States, but the people deserve to know whether any Rafale fighter jets were downed or not. 'Now questions are being raised about the damage done to us. You (Centre) shook hands on the directions of US, the Pakistani soldier we had was given back, now to ask questions regarding this what is so wrong with it in a democracy? That we should know how many casualties there are, how many soldiers are hurt, how many Rafales have been downed,' the Congress leader mentioned. Demanding that the Centre clarify that Operation Sindoor was beneficial for India while also being honest about any losses to our side, he said, 'There are also discussions that our three-four Rafale jets were shot down, the government should give a clarification that there were no losses and that we benefited from this (Operation Sindoor), that this is the truth, we damaged Pakistan this much.' 'After a battle, I don't think it is weakness to talk about this. This is the first time in India that after a war the party is taking out a victory rally, there are doubts in people's mind about this BJP government,' he added. In response to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, in which precision strikes destroyed terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoK) and eliminated nearly 100 terror operatives at key bases in Pakistan. India responded effectively to subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases. On May 10, an understanding regarding the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was announced. India has said that the agreement on stopping military action was done bilaterally and Pakistan DGMO had reached out to his Indian counterpart. (ANI)
United News of India
05-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
Maha: Congress leader slams BJP chief Bawankule
Parbhani, May 5 (UNI) Senior Congress leader and former minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday lashed out at Maharashtra Minister and BJP state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule for directing his workers to break and bring down the party. He was reacting to Bawankule's instruction to his workers to break the Congress and bring down the party. To which, Wadettiwar remarked, "If you want to build your own house, buy iron and cement with your own hard work. Do not steal from people's houses. This mentality is not a sign of depth for democracy and politics." "Congress cannot and will not fall because of what anyone says. Congress is a religion of humanity. No matter how many people come and go, Congress will not fall," he retorted. Taking an aim at the BJP-led central government, Wadettiwar said that 26 ordinary citizens were killed in Pahalgam of Jammu and Kashmir, but the central government was not serious about it, he added. UNI SP SS
Hindustan Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Don't politicise Pahalgam attack or play with our pain, says wife of terror victim
Pragati Jagdale, wife of Santosh Jagdale—one of the tourists killed in the April 22 terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam—on Tuesday urged political leaders not to exploit the tragedy for political ends. She said survivors had directly witnessed the brutality and distinctly heard what the attackers said during the ambush. Her appeal came a day after Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar sparked a controversy by questioning claims that the terrorists had asked victims about their religion before opening fire. Wadettiwar, while stating that terrorists have no caste or religion, cast doubt on the widely reported version that non-Muslims were specifically targeted in the Pahalgam massacre. His comments drew swift backlash from the ruling alliance, with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis calling it deeply insensitive and offensive to the victims' families. On April 22, 26 people—mostly tourists—were killed in a terror attack in Pahalgam, located in the Anantnag district of south Kashmir. Survivors and eyewitnesses later told the media that the attackers had deliberately targeted non-Muslims during the shooting. Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pragati Jagdale said the trauma of that day continues to haunt her. 'Every time I shut my eyes, I see a man with a gun. I still can't sleep. The horror is embedded deep within,' she said, adding that she hopes the government support will help her daughter, Asavari, piece her life back together. Pragati also reiterated her appeal for restraint. 'Please don't politicise what happened or manipulate our grief. We were present there. We heard the terrorists speak. We have already shared what they said,' she said. She said the gunmen acted with deliberate malice. 'They came prepared to kill. It was a cold-blooded act. We heard the hate in their voices. I urge all politicians—on humanitarian grounds—not to play with our emotions,' she said. On Monday, Wadettiwar, who is also the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, told reporters, 'We are being told that terrorists identified victims by religion before killing them. But do terrorists have the time to whisper in someone's ear and confirm their faith before shooting? Some say this happened, others deny it. Don't use this as the basis to plan further actions.' The Congress leader's remarks were widely criticised. Fadnavis said Wadettiwar had added to the pain of those grieving their loved ones lost in the attack.
NDTV
29-04-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"Don't Politicise, Play With Our Emotions": Pahalgam Terror Attack Victim's Wife
Pune: Pragati Jagdale, wife of Santosh Jagdale, one of the tourists killed in the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, on Tuesday appealed to leaders not to politicise the tragedy and said the survivors had experienced the horror firsthand and heard what the assailants said. Jagdale's appeal has come a day after Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, in a controversial remark, said that terrorists have no caste or religion and questioned the veracity of the claim that terrorists asked about the faith of tourists before killing them in Pahalgam town last week. Mr Wadettiwar's comments stoked a row and invited strong condemnation from ruling alliance leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Twenty-six people, most of them tourists, were gunned down by terrorists in Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on April 22. Eye-witnesses and survivors, in their interactions with media after the deadly assault, have claimed the terrorists had marked out non-Muslims. Talking to reporters in Pune, Jagdale said, "We are still haunted by the terror attack. Whenever I close my eyes, I see a man holding a rifle. I haven't been able to sleep properly. The shock is too deep." She said she now hopes that with government assistance, her daughter Asavari will be able to rebuild her life. Jagdale appealed to leaders not to politicise the issue. "Please don't politicise the incident or play with our emotions. We were there. We know what the terrorists said. We have already shared their statements during the attack," she said. Jagdale said the attackers came with a clear intention to kill and carried out the massacre cold-bloodedly. "We experienced terrorism. We heard hateful words. I urge all politicians, on humanitarian grounds, not to play with our emotions," she said. Talking to reporters on Monday, Mr Wadettiwar, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, said, "We are being told that terrorists ascertained religion and then killed people. Do terrorists even have so much time to go close to someone and whisper in their ears? It is highly controversial because some are claiming such things did happen while others are denying it. Do not plan anything around it." The senior Congress leader faced a barrage of criticism, with Chief Minister Fadnavis saying his statement had rubbed salt in the wounds of the families who lost their loved ones in the horrific attack.
