Video: India's US Envoy schools senior CNN anchor over Kashmir remark, says 'Let me correct you...'
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Vinay Kwatra corrects CNN anchor
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India's ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra on Thursday said India is "at war with the terrorists" as he defended Operation Sindoor . He called it a direct response to the terror attack in Pahalgam which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians on April 22.The senior diplomat schooled a senior CNN anchor during a live interview after he referred to parts of Kashmir as "Indian-administered." During an interview with Kwatra, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer asked about the explosions in the "Indian-administered" parts of Kashmir."First of all, I'm sorry, but let me correct you," Kwatra told Wolf Blitzer. "The entire Jammu and Kashmir is integral to the Indian part of India. The only issue to be resolved there is the return of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir."Kwatra was praised by a large number of people on social media for his calm yet firm response.Wolf Blitzer's comment came while discussing reports of explosions in the region. Responding to that, the Indian Envoy said that while India received reports of some activity, "We don't have the operational details relating to that."During the same interaction, Kwatra also spoke out strongly against the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. Calling it "the most heinous terrorist act," he declared, "Our foremost objective in this was to hold these lowlifes, subhuman monsters accountable and bring justice to the victims."Launching a blistering attack on Pakistan, he accused the country of harbouring terrorists. "What it shows the world is that Pakistan has again decided to stand with the terrorists. Rather than take action against them, they are essentially lending them support," he said. "We wouldn't be surprised if they are themselves involved in this."He added, "That's the message they're sending to the world, that they are with terrorists, not with the rest of the civilised world, in these brutal killings of innocent civilians."Kwatra's comments followed India's launch of Operation Sindoor, a targeted strike on terror bases across nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation, conducted in response to the Pahalgam attack, killed over 100 terrorists, according to the Defence Ministry.Commenting on the mission, Kwatra stated, 'No responsible nation would allow such terrorists to operate with impunity. That's exactly what we acted upon during Operation Sindoor.'He characterized the strikes as 'a precise, calibrated, and measured response against the terrorists, their infrastructure, and the integrated facilities they operate from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.'In response to Pakistan's denial of involvement in the Pahalgam attack, Kwatra remarked, 'Denial and obfuscation have always been cornerstones of Pakistan's strategy.' 'They have this peculiar tendency to only acknowledge responsibility for their actions long after the fact — never in the present,' he added.When asked about the risk of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan leading to nuclear conflict, the Ambassador emphasized that the real threat lies in Pakistan's persistent support for terrorism.India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking terror factories at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.Underscoring the fact that four terrorists backed by Pakistan killed 26 civilians, Kwatra said 'in no world would you allow such terrorists to be given a free pass. And that is precisely what we did the day before yesterday.
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