Opposition rallies behind govt, hails forces for action
The national response against Pakistan on Wednesday evoked an overwhelming sense of unity across the political divide in the country. Parties leaning left, right, and centre set aside their differences to fully back the armed forces.
Unlike the 2019 post-Pulwama terror attack airstrikes, which were met with suspicion by the broad opposition, Operation Sindoor attracted complete consensus. The Congress, Left Parties, SP, RJD, Aam Aadmi Party, and regional leaders, including DMK’s MK Stalin and NCP SP’s Sharad Pawar, among others, congratulated the armed forces for their decisive response.
Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament, Mallikarjun Kharge (Rajya Sabha) and Rahul Gandhi (Lok Sabha), saluted the forces, as did Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and NCP SP’s Sharad Pawar. Pawar rang up PM Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hail their leadership and the military action.
Kharge emphasised India’s unwavering national policy against all forms of terrorism emanating from Pakistan and PoK. “We are extremely proud of our Indian armed forces, who have struck terror camps in Pakistan and PoK. We applaud their resolute resolve and courage. Since the day of the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian National Congress has categorically stood with the Armed Forces and the Government to take any decisive action against cross-border terror,” he said. Ahead of the all-party meeting called by the Government on Thursday, Kharge stressed that national unity and solidarity were the need of the hour, affirming the Congress’s full support for the Armed Forces. “Our leaders have shown the path in the past, and national interest is supreme for us," he added.
In a post on X, Rahul said, “Proud of our Armed Forces. Jai Hind!" The Congress Working Committee met twice to express support for the government’s response to the Pahalgam attack, with Kharge making three public statements to reinforce this stance.
TMC supremo and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee succinctly tweeted, “Jai Hind, Jai India," while Sharad Pawar praised the military strikes against terror camps in Pakistan. “The entire country is proud of the heroic feat of the Indian Armed Forces. Heartfelt congratulations to all the soldiers who maintained India’s sovereignty and the security of citizens and gave a befitting reply to the Pahalgam attack! Jai Hind!" Pawar wrote on X.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “Valour has won," while AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal expressed pride in the Indian Army and its soldiers. “Indians stand with the Army in this fight against terrorism. The courage of the Indian Armed Forces is the faith of every citizen. We are all together—united against terrorism," Kejriwal added.
Significantly, Left parties CPI and CPM also backed the military response. The CPI stated that Operation Sindoor followed the gruesome terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian citizens and one Nepali national. “Given the grave provocation and loss of innocent lives, CPI believes that India had little choice but to respond firmly against the sources of such terrorism. The targeted nature of the strikes, avoiding Pakistani military assets and focusing solely on terrorist infrastructure, demonstrates a calibrated and non-escalatory approach, prioritizing accountability without inviting full-scale conflict," the CPI said, urging Pakistan to dismantle terror infrastructure.
The CPM Polit Bureau described the strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK as “focused, measured, and non-escalatory." “Operation Sindoor was carried out by the Indian Armed Forces with the objective of destroying terrorist camps and infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK," the CPM stated, demanding that all perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack be brought to justice.
Nation