LS takes up debate on Op Sindoor; Rajnath reiterates India's policy against terrorism
witnessed two disruptions since morning.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while initiating the debate said, "It was not merely a military operation, but it was an effective and decisive demonstration of India's sovereignty, its identity, our responsibility towards the nation's citizens, and our policy against terrorism".
The Defence Minister informed the House that before the execution of Operation Sindoor, "our armed forces thoroughly studied every aspect. We had several options. But we chose the option that would cause maximum damage to terrorists and their hideouts while ensuring no harm to Pakistan's innocent civilians".
He said that the Indian Armed Forces carried out well-coordinated strikes and hit nine terrorist infrastructure targets with precision.
UNI RBE RB
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Modi makes push for ‘swadeshi' after US levies 25% tariff
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called on citizens to adopt the spirit of 'swadeshi' and support locally made products, stressing that true service to the nation lies in promoting indigenous goods amid global economic uncertainties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a gathering in Varanasi.(ANI) His comments came a day after US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on India and unspecified penalties for buying Russian oil, after talks bogged down over access to agriculture and other sensitive sectors, with New Delhi refusing to open its labour-intensive farms to unfettered American imports. In a 55-minute speech, the PM also invoked Lord Shiva's 'Rudra roop' (fierce form) to describe India's resolute action against terrorism, saying Operation Sindoor showcased the country's strength and that any Pakistani misadventures will get a reply from missiles made in UP, a reference to the BrahMos. He was addressing a public meeting in Banauli village in his parliamentary constituency Varanasi where he laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development works worth around ₹2,200 crore. He also distributed the 20th instalment of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi worth ₹20,500 crore to over 97 million eligible farmers nationwide. 'The world economy is facing instability and uncertainty. In such times, countries are focusing solely on their own interests. India, too, is on the path to becoming the world's third-largest economy and must remain alert to its own economic priorities,' he said. The prime minister also made a renewed push for 'swadeshi', stressing that every party, leader and citizen must work to promote indigenous goods if 'we want India to become the third-largest economy'. 'Welfare of farmers and small industries is paramount and the government is making every possible effort in this direction…At a time when the world is going through uncertainty, let us take a pledge to sell only swadeshi goods from our shops and markets. Promoting made in India goods will be the truest service to the country,' he added. He also urged people to be conscious consumers, saying, 'Whatever we buy, we should ask ourselves — has an Indian toiled to make this? If it has been made by the sweat of our people, with their skills, that product is swadeshi for us. We must adopt the mantra of 'Vocal for Local'.' Trump's executive order on Friday also set punitive rates for 69 trading partners, including 35% duties on Canada, 50% for Brazil, 20% for Taiwan and 39% for Switzerland, as a previously announced 12.01am EDT August 1 deadline approached. Goods from unlisted countries face a 10% baseline tax. The new levies come into effect on August 7. India now faces higher tariff rates than regional competitors, with Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia set for 19% duties while Bangladesh, Vietnam and Taiwan face 20% rates—potentially weakening India's position as a preferred sourcing destination for US companies. India exports $86.5 billion worth of goods to the US, with a surplus of $41 billion. However, industry experts estimate that a significant chunk of Indian goods may avoid the higher duties for now since the Trump administration has exempted electronics, pharmaceuticals, energy products and critical minerals from additional tariffs citing national interest. Nonetheless, analysts expect a significant impact for India's exports. In his first visit to Varanasi since Operation Sindoor, Modi drew attention to the state of the world economy. With the festival and wedding seasons approaching, the PM encouraged people to ensure that all new purchases are made in India. He recalled how many citizens changed their wedding plans from abroad to India after his earlier appeal. 'The feeling of swadeshi in every action will define our future. This will also be a true tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Only through collective effort can we fulfil the dream of a developed India,' Modi said. The PM accused the Congress of repeatedly insulting the valour of the armed forces and even terming Operation Sindoor a 'tamasha' (spectacle). 'Can 'Sindoor' ever be a joke? They dared to insult the sacred mark of our sisters and the valour of our soldiers,' he said. 'My heart was filled with sorrow for the 26 people who lost their lives in the Pahalgam terror attack... My promise to avenge 'Sindoor' of our daughters was fulfilled with blessings of Mahadev,' he said, adding, 'I dedicate the success of the operation at the feet of Mahadev.' He was referring to the killing of three terrorists responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in an encounter named Operation Mahadev last week. 'Shiva means welfare, but when terrorism and injustice raise their ugly head, Mahadev takes his 'Rudra roop'. During Operation Sindoor, the world witnessed this very form of India,' the PM said, warning that 'whoever attacks India will not survive, even in Pataal Lok (netherworld)'. Taking a dig at the Opposition, Modi alleged that while the country was celebrating the success of Operation Sindoor, 'some people in our own country were troubled by it'. 'Congress and its allies are unable to digest the fact that India demolished terrorist hideouts inside Pakistan,' he said. 'Aren't you proud of Operation Sindoor? Aren't you proud that India destroyed terror bases (in Pakistan and PoK)?' the PM asked. 'Several air bases in Pakistan are still in ICU. While Pakistan's anguish is understandable, what's shocking is that Congress and Samajwadi Party leaders are also unable to cope with it.' Modi also attacked the Samajwadi Party (SP) for questioning the timing of Operation Mahadev. 'One of their leaders asked in Parliament -- 'why were the attackers of Pahalgam killed now'. Should I call and ask Samajwadi leaders whether to strike now or later? Should we wait and let the terrorists escape?' Modi asked. 'This is 'Naya Bharat' (New India), which worships Lord Shiva but turns Kaal Bhairav against its enemies when needed,' the prime minister said. Modi stressed that Operation Sindoor demonstrated India's indigenous defence capabilities to the world. Expressing pride as an MP from Uttar Pradesh, the PM announced that BrahMos missiles will soon be manufactured in Lucknow. The BrahMos unit in Lucknow was inaugurated on May 11. Issuing a stern warning, he declared, 'If Pakistan dares to repeat its mistakes, missiles made in UP will wipe out terrorists.' Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, his two deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, along with several ministers, public representatives, and BJP state unit president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary were present at the event.
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Opposition mounts attack on EC, panel rebuts charge
The Opposition continued its attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday, accusing it of working at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre, evoking sharp reactions from the poll panel and ruling party leaders who asked them to give proof of their allegations. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party leader Abhishek Singhvi during the party's Annual Legal Conclave at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. (HT PHOTO) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who on Friday claimed that his party had uncovered an 'atom bomb' of evidence proving voters lists were manipulated on a large scale, reiterated his claims on Saturday, saying he will soon release the data that would send shockwaves through the election system. 'You will see the shockwave that is going to go through the electoral system when we release this data. It is literally like an atom bomb,' LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said at the inaugural function of the day-long legal conclave on the theme 'Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives and Pathways'. Gandhi cited data collected by the Congress from an assembly constituency in Karnataka, where the party checked the photographs and names of electors physically and reportedly found out that 150,000 votes were 'fake' out of a total of 65,000 voters. 'Out of 6.5 lakh voters, we found 1.5 lakh to be fake. It's all documented; we obtained physical papers from the Election Commission,' he claimed. He added: 'The truth is that the election system in India is already dead. Please remember one thing that the prime minister of India enjoys a very slim majority. If 10-15 seats were rigged, and we suspect the actual figures to be closer to 70-80 to 100, he would not have been the prime minister of the country... In the coming few days, we are going to prove to you without any doubt how a Lok Sabha election can be rigged, and it was rigged.' Gandhi said he will make public details of the 'anomalies' in voter list in the constituency in Karnataka on August 5 at Bengaluru's Freedom Park. Sharpening his attack on the ECI, the former Congress chief said, 'It's very clear that the institution that protects this (Constitution), and defends it has been obliterated and taken over.' Gandhi also said that he did not have the proof earlier and that is why he could not make such statements before. 'But, I am making this statement confidently now because I have 100% proof. And, whoever I have shown it to has fallen off the chair. They literally said how it is possible. But it is possible, it's happening, literally,' he added. The Congress has repeatedly accused the ECI of acting like a 'biased umpire', particularly in its handling of the 2024 general elections and multiple assembly polls. Later in the day, EC shared Gandhi's remarks on its official X account, saying: 'The statements made are Misleading and Baseless.' On Friday, too, the poll panel had termed the LoP's 'atom bomb' remark 'baseless and wild allegations'. The BJP, meanwhile, dared Gandhi to detonate at once the 'atom bomb of evidence of vote theft'. 'Rahul Gandhi says he is in possession of an atom bomb. If it is so, he should detonate it at once. He should just ensure that he is himself out of harm's way', said defence minister and former BJP president Rajnath Singh. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that voters were 'changed' in the Maharashtra assembly and Lok Sabha elections. 'How can there be nine voters in a small room and nine thousand voters in a single hostel in Maharashtra? Is this Election Commission or Modi ji's puppet,' he asked at the legal conclave on Saturday. Echoing Gandhi's recent warnings, Kharge asserted that accountability will follow for those in the poll body. 'Whether they are serving or retired, ECI officials won't be spared if they break the rules. They're in a dangerous position –– lying for the BJP –– and that cannot go on unchecked.' Slamming the contentious special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, Kharge described the exercise as a 'deliberate' move to disenfranchise the poor, marginalised and minorities even as he called the ECI a 'puppet' to the Narendra Modi-led government. 'If 6.5 to 10 million voters are being excluded in a state of 70 million, it's not an error, it's a calculated decision to remove the marginalised from the democratic process.' Kharge's comments come a day after ECI published the draft electoral rolls for poll-bound Bihar after the conclusion of the first phase of the SIR. ECI said of the 6.5 million names missing from the rolls, deaths accounted for 2.2 million, people who permanently shifted or not found accounted for 3.6 million and people enrolled in multiple places accounted for 700,000. The EC did not respond to the latest allegations, but said in a press note that along with the draft rolls, a list of voters who were part of the June 24 electoral roll but are missing from the new draft has been shared with political parties. A total of 1.60 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs), nominated by district presidents of the 12 political parties, are currently participating in the SIR process. The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha also alleged that Opposition voices, including his own and Gandhi's, are routinely muffled in Parliament. 'Mics are switched off the moment we try to speak,' he said. 'Modi and Shah used to cheer when the former Rajya Sabha Chairman expelled us. This is what they call democracy.' (With PTI inputs)
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
Abhishek sends team to aid Bengali workers detained in Maha
1 2 Kolkata: With chief minister Mamata Banerjee launching a tirade against the "linguistic terror" unleashed on Bengali-speakers in BJP-governed states, Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday sent a four-member team to Maharashtra to assist and ensure the return of migrant workers detained there at the earliest. Among those detained is one Babai Sardar, a resident of Bishnupur, a part of Abhishek's Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. After Abhishek instructed Bishnupur MLA and state minister Dilip Mondal to send a team, four functionaries of the local TMC leadership left for Mumbai on Saturday evening. Abhishek also told Mondal to ensure that the team was "sufficiently equipped and supported" so that they can help the release of the detained workers. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The team of Arup Kumar Das, Sachi Naskar, Rajib Gazi and Palash Karmakar has been told to reach the alleged "detention spot" directly, said Trinamool seniors. Just prior to their departure at Kolkata airport, they assured all kinds of assistance to migrant workers facing harassment in Maharashtra. According to Sardar's family, the 26-year-old labourer had left for Mumbai for work nearly two years ago. His family members have not been able to contact or communicate with him for around a week now. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Global Indices Are on the Move — Time to Trade! IC Markets Learn More Undo Sardar is carrying his voter ID and Aadhaar card on him, they said. For the past several weeks, there have been multiple instances of mistreatment of Bengali migrant workers in various states. Reports have surfaced of them being beaten, attacked, robbed, having their earnings taken away, and even having their identity documents seized across states like Delhi, Odisha, Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra, along with others. In protest, Mamata has taken to the streets to lead a statewide 'Bhasha Andolan'. The CM is set to lead a rally again at Jhargram next week after leading a similar one at Bolpur in Birbhum last week. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
