AT LEAST two Opposition leaders find themselves in a spot over remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack or Operation Sindoor.
In West Bengal, the held protests against Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, after he described the India-Pakistan conflict as “insignificant” and questioned the government’s claims of hitting terrorist bases in Pakistan.
Speaking Wednesday to ABP Ananda, Roy said: “This war is not a war at all. The matter is almost comical. Some aerial vehicles, drones went from here to there, missiles went from here to there. There were no major losses… Where were the terrorist bases destroyed?… The Central government should put the proof before the people.”
The TMC, which has even stayed away from the rest of the Opposition in calling for a Parliament session or all-party meeting over Operation Sindoor, swiftly distanced itself from Roy’s remarks. In a post on X, the party said: “Let us emphatically state that the statement made by Prof Saugata Roy, MP, is not the opinion of the All India Trinamool Congress.”
Bracing for a tough contest by the BJP in the Assembly elections next year, the TMC has restricted itself to statements declaring its respect for the Armed Forces in the wake of Operation Sindoor.
Over in Rajasthan, Congress Barmer MP Ummeda Ram Beniwal sought proof from the government on whether the terrorists who struck in Pahalgam asked their victims about their religion, claiming there was no evidence of the same.
Beniwal also raised questions about the security lapse leading to the attack, saying the government had admitted the same.
“In Pahalgam, if the tourists were killed after asking about their religion, then it is wrong. However, there is no confirmation of whether the shooting was done after asking about religion or caste, or telling them to ‘go tell Modi’… No one has any concrete proof of this type,” Beniwal said, addressing mediapersons. He also questioned “America’s role” in the ceasefire with Pakistan.
BJP state president Manoj Rathore said Beniwal should be expelled by the Congress. “An MP who attends Parliament should not be asking these questions or do politics on the matter of national security. If they are so curious then they should go and ask these questions to the women who lost their loved ones.”
While top Congress leaders could not be reached for comment, sources in the party said Beniwal had only criticised the BJP government, not questioned the victims.
With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences.
Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now.
