'Operation Sindoor Ongoing, About 100 Terrorists Killed': Govt Says in All Party Meet; PM Absent

New Delhi: The union government informed the all-party meeting held today (May 8) following ‘Operation Sindoor’ – India’s military strikes against ‘terrorist infrastructure’ in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir – that about 100 terrorists and their accomplices have been killed in the strikes, The Wire has learnt. It also said that the operation is ongoing,

The Wire has also learnt that the civilian deaths along the LoC in Pakistan shelling, in the aftermath of the strikes was also discussed during the meeting, with the government assuring party leaders that the armed forces are both ready and responsive. The meeting also saw opposition parties pledging their support to the government and the armed forces, which was appreciated by the government and seen to be sending a positive message of unity.

Prime minister Narendra Modi who did not attend the previous all-party meeting held in the immediate aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack last month in which 26 civilians were killed, was not present in today's meeting either. Modi’s absence was raised by Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.

The meeting was chaired by Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, and was attended by home minister Amit Shah, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and BJP chief and union minister J.P Nadda from the government’s side. The all-party meeting which was the second in two weeks, the previous all-party meeting was held on April 24 – two days after the Pahalgam terror attack.

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During the meeting, the government informed party leaders that the military strikes in the wee hours of Wednesday morning on nine targets in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and inside Pakistan had killed 100 terrorists and their accomplices, sources said. The sources added that the government had informed party leaders that the operation is still ongoing. During the meeting the civilian deaths in Pakistani shelling in areas including Poonch and Akhnoor sectors was also raised, The Wire has learnt. Opposition members spoke about evacuation of civilians residing in these areas and compensation to the victims and their families. The government, sources said, claimed that the armed forces have been given full authority to respond to Pakistan shelling.

'Leaders showed maturity'

Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said that the meeting had been very “fruitful” where all political parties showed “maturity” and gave their support to the government. 

"A meeting of all party leaders was held today under the chairmanship of Rajnath Singh. Since it was a serious issue, everyone spoke very seriously. Rajnath Singh briefed the party leaders about the operation as well as the government's intentions. All the political leaders kept their own positions and gave suggestions. I believe that all the leaders showed maturity,” said Rijiju while speaking to reporters.

“At a time when the country is facing a big challenge, there should be no space for politics. All political parties showed this and all leaders in one voice lauded Operation Sindoor undertaken by our armed forces. They said they will support every decision of the government and the armed forces. Some suggestions have been given by the MPs, that we should remain cautious and aware. We have taken these suggestions. Not just political parties, the whole country is united.”

Rijiju said that the defence minister had said in his remarks in the meeting that it was a display of a “mature democracy”.

“The defence minister in his remarks said that today's meeting shows that we don't do politics just to form a government but to build a country. It was a display of a mature democracy. All political parties speaking in one voice has been very welcome. Because this is an ongoing operation there is no separate briefing. I want to thank all leaders and just as we wanted they gave their support and it was a very sensitive and fruitful meeting,” said Rijiju.

'PM Modi’s absence'

During the meeting Congress leaders of opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge raised the prime minister’s absence for the second time. Gandhi also said that a special session of parliament should be held to give out a positive message to the country.

"We wanted the prime minister to also come to this all-party meeting and briefly share his views on how India took action against terrorism and how our soldiers showed courage. We salute our soldiers and congratulate them. We wanted the prime minister to come himself and brief everyone so that everyone could benefit from it. But he was not there and he was not there in the previous meeting either,” said Kharge after the meeting.

“This is a matter of sadness when all of us were there and all of us are with the government in one voice that you go ahead we will stand with you and with the army. The Prime Minister has also said that I give complete authority to the Army, they can take any action, we are with them. But our defence minister said that this is a sensitive time and questions related to defence secrets should not be asked at this time, we do not want to make them public at this time. All of us parties also took this seriously in the interest of the country and did not ask any question on this subject.”

Civilians deaths in Pakistani shelling

Opposition parties collectively also said in the meeting that the civilians living in the border areas should be given protection amid ongoing Pakistan shelling. The defence ministry in a separate statement today said that 16 people have died including three women and five children in Pakistani firing, to which India was “compelled” to respond.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said after the meeting that he had urged the government that those who were killed and affected by Pakistani shelling should be regarded as “victims of terrorism”.

“Under security related expenditure they should be given ex-gratia compensation and the government should rebuild their homes,” he said.

In addition, Owaisi said that he has stated in his remarks in the meeting that a global campaign should be launched against The Resistance Front (an offshoot of the LeT that had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack) as well as build global consensus on pushing Pakistan to the FATF grey list.

“Now our country has hostility on two fronts-on the LoC and LAC. Now 50,000 troops are in Galwan (in Ladakh) so we should look into this. We are exporting less and importing more from China. So we should impress upon China as well that Pakistan be pushed into FATF grey list,” he said.

While CNN has reported that police in Lahore have said that “two drones were shot down over”, Owaisi said other reports in Reuters had suggested that a Rafale jet had crashed in Bathinda.

“We don’t know if this is true or false. But we said that the government should tell the IAF to deny this so that the morale and reputation of our armed forces is not hit,” he said.

Among opposition members, apart from Gandhi, Kharge and Owaisi the meeting was attended by Sudip Bandopdhyay (TMC), Sanjay Singh (AAP), John Brittas (CPI (M)), E.T. Mohammed Basheer (IUML), Supriya Sule (NCP), Sanjay Kumar Jha (NCP-SP), T.R. Baalu (DMK), Ram Gopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Sasmit Patra (BJD), and P.C. Gupta (RJD).

NDA allies including union minister Chirag Paswan (LJP), Praful Patel (NCP), Srikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Lavu Sri Krishna Devrayalu (TDP), and Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU) also attended the meeting.