Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday drew a strong parallel between the ongoing Operation Sindoor and the 1971 Indo-Pak war, urging the government to back the Indian Armed Forces with “100% political will” and “full freedom of operation.”
Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor, Gandhi condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in no uncertain terms, calling it “a brutal, heartless, and merciless attack, clearly organized and orchestrated by the Pakistani state.”
“Young people and old people alike were murdered in cold blood,” he said, emphasizing the need for a united national response.
Gandhi reminded Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who had earlier drawn his own comparison between Operation Sindoor and the 1971 war, that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had demonstrated complete political will and had granted full strategic freedom to General Manekshaw before the war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
“The Seventh Fleet was approaching. But she [Indira Gandhi] told General Manekshaw, Take six months, one year, or whatever time you need. You must have complete freedom of action. That’s how 1 lakh Pakistani soldiers surrendered,” he noted.
‘Opposition Stood Like a Rock’
Rebuffing any suggestion of disunity, Rahul Gandhi asserted that all opposition parties stood firmly with the government as soon as the operation was launched.
“From the moment Operation Sindoor began, in fact, even before it started, all opposition parties had committed to standing like a rock with the elected government. We are proud we came together as one,” he said, adding that “every single person in this House has condemned Pakistan.”
‘You Can’t Control a Tiger’
The Congress MP also used a metaphor to urge the government not to micromanage military operations.
“Tiger has to be given freedom. You cannot control a tiger if you want work done by it,” he said, underlining the importance of letting military leadership operate without political interference.
This is a developing story. More details to follow.
