A day after India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ against terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, the central government held a high-level all-party meeting on Thursday. Top Union ministers and major political leaders took part. This was the second such meeting since the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists.
Key Leaders Present
The meeting included senior government leaders like Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and BJP President J.P. Nadda.
Leaders from the Opposition also attended. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and DMK’s TR Baalu were among those present.
Rahul Gandhi Voices Support
After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi said, “We have extended our full support to the government. As Kharge ji mentioned, they said there are a few things they don't want to discuss.”
Operation Briefed in Detail
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting. BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said that Singh gave a full briefing on how Operation Sindoor was carried out. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju added that Singh explained the operation in detail. He said leaders from all parties showed unity and responsibility.
“All the leaders have shown maturity at a time when we are all working together. Everyone has hailed and congratulated the armed forces for Operation Sindoor, and said that we will support the government and armed forces,” Rijiju said. He added, “We have received a few suggestions as well… The Defence Minister said we don't form the government just to rule…”
100 Terrorists Killed: Report
According to PTI, Singh informed leaders that Indian forces had killed at least 100 terrorists during Operation Sindoor. He also warned that India will retaliate if Pakistan tries to strike again.
Opposition Supports, But Questions PM’s Absence
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that although the government didn’t share all the details for security reasons, “in this hour of crisis, we are all with them”. He added that all parties assured full support to the government’s actions. However, Kharge criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not attending the meeting. This was the second time the PM skipped such a discussion.
“Last time he was not there, and this time he isn't there either. It's his intention that he thinks he is above the Parliament. When the time comes, we will ask, but now it is a time of crisis, and we don't want to criticise anyone,” Kharge said.
Broad Participation from Political Spectrum
Other leaders present included Ram Gopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena - UBT), Supriya Sule (NCP - SP), Sasmit Patra (BJD), and John Brittas (CPI-M). Chirag Paswan (LJP - Ram Vilas), Sanjay Jha (JD-U), and Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM) also attended.
What Was Operation Sindoor?
India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. The mission lasted from 1:04 AM to 1:30 AM on May 7. Indian forces struck nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Opposition parties praised the action, calling it “necessary.” Families of the Pahalgam victims also welcomed the move.
After the strikes, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh held a press briefing. They said Pakistan had done nothing to act against the terrorists on its soil.