Rajnath Singh briefs Opposition on 'Operation Sindoor', Centre says all parties showed 'maturity' in meeting

A day after India's ‘Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan-based terrorist groups, the central government on Thursday held an all-party meeting, with top Union ministers and leaders from across the political spectrum in attendance. The high-level meeting, the second since the Pahalgam terror attack, saw participation from key government figures including defence minister Rajnath Singh, home hinister Amit Shah, external affairs Minister S Jaishankar, BJP president JP Nadda, and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Opposition parties were also well-represented, with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and DMK’s TR Baalu among others taking part.

Speaking after the meeting, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha 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.”

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Defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting. According to BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, all those who attended the meeting was made aware about how ‘Operation Sindoor’ was conducted. 

Track live updates of Operation Sindoor here.

Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said Rajnath Singh provided a detailed briefing on Operation Sindoor. Rijiju noted that leaders across party lines offered their suggestions and displayed a strong sense of responsibility and unity. “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. We have received a few suggestions as well... The Defence Minister said we don't form the government just to rule..."

Rajnath Singh told the leaders that at least 100 terrorists were killed in Indian strikes under Operation Sindoor, news agency PTI reported, citing unnamed sources.

He added that India will hit back if Pakistan strikes, the report said.

Also read: What Asaduddin Owaisi said against Pakistan in all-party meeting on Operation Sindoor

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, speaking to the media after the meeting, said, "We heard what was said (by the government). They said for the interest of the country, anything based on national security was confidential and they couldn't say anything about it. However, all the party members who were present said that in this hour of crisis, we are all with them and told them to keep doing the work, and we will support them for the interest of the country."

Despite the show of unity, Kharge took a sharp dig at PM Modi for skipping the meeting, marking his second consecutive absence from such discussions.

"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 remarked.

Other Opposition leaders, who attended the meeting, included Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule, BJD's Sasmit Patra and CPI(M)'s John Brittas.

JD(U) leader Sanjay Jha, Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) leader Chirag Paswan and AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi were also part of the meeting.

‘Operation Sindoor’ 

The meeting came a day after India successfully conducted ‘Operation Sindoor’ and avenged the barbaric terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22. 

Under Operation Sindoor, which lasted from 1.04am to 1.30am, Indian armed forces struck as many as nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the early hours of Wednesday.

Several Opposition parties have lauded the operation, terming it “necessary”. The sentiment was shared by the families of those who lost their lives in the Pahalgam attack. 

After the operation, Foreign secretary Vikram Misri, along with Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, addressed a briefing and said that Pakistan did not do anything to crackdown on terrorists operating on their land.