Leaders from across the political spectrum expressed complete and unequivocal support for the government and armed forces during an all-party meeting convened at Parliament on Thursday, as 'Operation Sindoor' &mdash; a military response to recent terrorist attacks &mdash; continues.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed political leaders on the Indian military strikes carried out early Wednesday, which targeted nine terror locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.&nbsp;
Among the targets were the Jaish-e-Mohammad base in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba&rsquo;s facility in Muridke. According to sources, Singh informed the gathering that around 100 terrorists were killed in the operation.&nbsp;
He stressed that India's actions were specifically aimed at terror training camps and did not involve strikes against the Pakistani army or civilian areas.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, addressing the media after the meeting, confirmed the operation is still underway. &ldquo;The meeting was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who briefed the leaders about 'Operation Sindoor'. All the leaders gave their suggestions, and they 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. We have received a few suggestions as well... The Defence Minister said we don't form the government just to rule,&rdquo; he stated.
Rijiju further noted that the meeting aimed to build broad political consensus and was not attended by armed forces officials, as they were engaged with ongoing operations.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The Raksha mantri told the meeting that it was an ongoing operation and that is why he cannot share the technical details of Operation Sindoor that was launched by Indian armed forces,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Political leaders also congratulated the armed forces for the action taken under Operation Sindoor.&rdquo;
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge affirmed the opposition's position. &ldquo;In the moment of crisis, we are with the government,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
Kharge quoted the Defence Minister as assuring that India&rsquo;s actions were focused solely on terror infrastructure. He added, &ldquo;We accepted it in the national interest and did not ask any further questions.&rdquo;
Kharge further stated that the opposition fully backed the decisions and actions of the armed forces. &ldquo;We are with the army. Whatever action the army is taking, as the PM has given full authority to the army, we approve that,&rdquo; he said.
Concern for the safety of civilians living near the border areas was raised by several opposition members, Kharge said, referring to recent incidents such as the killings in Jammu and Kashmir&rsquo;s Poonch region.&nbsp;
He added that the government had assured all necessary precautions were being taken to ensure their protection.
The Congress president also disclosed that Rahul Gandhi had proposed a special session of Parliament to present a united front and send a message of national solidarity. However, he noted that the government had not responded to the suggestion.&nbsp;
Kharge emphasised that opposition parties had not raised any objections and were acting in complete unity. &ldquo;All parties conveyed full support to our defence forces and saluted their courage and determination to ensure the unity and security of the country,&rdquo; he said.
Kharge also addressed reports suggesting that Indian aircraft had been shot down, dismissing them as misinformation. &ldquo;Those are all lies,&rdquo; he said.
In response to a question regarding diplomatic steps being taken by the government, Kharge stated that the opposition had chosen not to seek specific details, considering the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp;
Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s absence from the meeting, he said the opposition had expected him to attend, having already expressed their full support for the government's actions. He refrained from further comment, stating, &ldquo;These are critical times and such questions can be raised later.&rdquo;
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, echoed this stance. Addressing the media after the meeting, he confirmed that all opposition parties had endorsed the government&rsquo;s position and did not ask for operational details, respecting the national interest.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi also voiced his support for the government and the armed forces. &ldquo;I also said that we should run an international campaign against TRF and the UN Security Council should designate it as a terror organisation. We also need to ask the United States to designate TRF as foreign terrorist organisation in the country,&rdquo; he said.
The meeting saw participation from several key Union ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and BJP president and Health Minister J P Nadda.&nbsp;
Prominent opposition leaders in attendance included Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge from the Congress, Trinamool Congress&rsquo;s Sandip Bandyopadhyay, T R Baalu from the DMK, Samajwadi Party&rsquo;s Ram Gopal Yadav, AAP&rsquo;s Sanjay Singh, Shiv Sena (UBT)&rsquo;s Sanjay Raut, NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule, BJD&rsquo;s Sasmit Patra, and CPI(M)&rsquo;s John Brittas. JD(U)&rsquo;s Sanjay Jha, Union Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan, and AIMIM&rsquo;s Asaduddin Owaisi were also present.
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All-party meeting sees unified backing for Indian forces amid ongoing anti-terror offensive Operation Sindoor

Oppn Backs Govt, Forces in Op Sindoor

All-party meeting sees unified backing for Indian forces amid ongoing anti-terror offensive Operation Sindoor

May 8, 2025 | 16:52 IST