Oppn extols armed forces for ‘bold, decisive’ action against terror camps

New Delhi: The armed forces’ Operation Sindoor drew adulation from Opposition leaders across party lines as they sent out a message of unity and expressed resolve to stand with the government on national security.

The Congress, Left parties, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) hailed the action in unison while asserting their wholehearted support to any step to cull terror.

The Left, while pointing out the importance of maintaining the country’s unity and integrity, called for stemming further escalation of the tension between the two neighbours and suggested pursuing diplomatic avenues for peace in the region.

India’s armed forces destroyed nine terrorist infrastructures, including that of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba, in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in a 25-minute-long missile and drone strike early on Wednesday.

The strikes, which India has described as “measured, non-escalatory, proportionate, and responsible”, came in retaliation to the dastardly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

At an urgently-convened meeting of the Congress Working Committee to discuss the strikes, top leaders said they extend all support to the armed forces and the government in preserving the safety, unity and integrity of the country.

Rahul Gandhi expressed support and best wishes for the armed forces. “Complete support from the Congress party and the Congress Working Committee,” he said.

Veteran leader and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said no country could remain a mute spectator in the aftermath of a terror attack and now a message has gone out to the world that “India is aggressive”.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has had several confrontations with the Modi government, sent out a message of unity in the war against terror. “We all should together fight the battle against terrorism, and there should not be any differences among us,” she said.

DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin welcomed the action. “With our Army, for our nation. Tamil Nadu stands resolute.”

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal echoed similar sentiments and declared on X that “140 crore Indians stand with the Indian Army in this fight against terrorism”.

Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann sent out a similar message on the platform as did Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal.

RJD leader Tejashvi Yadav issued a video statement to say that India and its Army have never tolerated any form of terrorism or separatist movement in the country, nor will they ever do so.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut accused PM Modi and the BJP, accusing them of politicising the 2019 Pulwama terror attack and warned against doing the same over the Pahagam massacre.

The Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party also praised the military for ‘Operation Sindoor’.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saluted the armed forces for the precision strikes and said that terror has “no place in our land, and India will respond with strength and unity”.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) pointed out the armed forces’ assertion that the retaliatory strikes

were focused, measured and non-escalatory to call on the government to ensure that the unity and integrity of the country are protected.