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4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
'Joote khaane bhej diya...': What Pakistan's DGMO told Indian counterpart during Kargil ceasefire talks
When the then-Pakistani DGMO came to Attari to meet his Indian counterpart during the Kargil War, he said something so unusual that it reflected Pakistan's defeat in the 1999 conflict. Here's what he said. read more As India commemorates Kargil Vijay Divas, a retired senior Army officer recalled what happened when the then-Pakistani DGMO arrived in India to meet his Indian counterpart. As Pakistani troops started to struggle in early July 1999, then-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee called his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, and asked him to send Pakistan's Director General Military Operations (DGMO) for talks with the Indian DGMO. In the meeting, India aimed to convey to Pakistan the plan for their full pull-back beyond the Line of Control (LoC). For the talks, then-Indian DGMO Lt Gen Nirmal Chander Vij (retd), accompanied by then-deputy DGMO Brig Mohan Bhandari (retd) to meet Pakistani DGMO Lt Gen Tauqir Zia (retd). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, what was interesting was the fact that the Pakistani DGMO came all alone for the meeting at Attari. This meeting was significant since this was the first time the two DGMOs came face to face during the Kargil War. While speaking to The Times of India, Bhandari recalled a peculiar interaction with Zia. 'Miyan Saab ne joote khane ke liye akele bhej diya' Bhandari, who later retired as Lt Gen and now lives in Ranikhet, recalled that he was surprised seeing Lt Gen Zia arriving alone, saying it was 'something highly unusual for DGMO meetings.' 'As per the schedule, we left Delhi at 6.30 am on July 11 for Amritsar, where we reached around 8.15 am. From there, we boarded a chopper to Attari. After reaching the meeting spot, when I went to check on the Pakistani side, I saw Zia standing by himself, smoking, his cap askew,' the retired Indian Lt. General told TOI on Saturday. 'As I met him earlier about 3-4 times during talks on Siachen, I asked him, 'Ye kya hai Tauqir… akele? (How come you are alone?)' He replied, 'Kya karun? Miyan Saab ne joote khane ke liye akele bhej diya'(What could I have done? Miyan Saab sent me alone to take the blows),' he averred, adding that 'Miyan Saab' was a reference to then-Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif. Bhandari mentioned that the protocol did not allow the Indian DGMO to meet his Pakistani counterpart without any accompanying delegation. 'I asked Zia to call over personnel from the Pak Rangers, stationed at the border, for formality's sake. Three officers joined him. But despite that, we deliberately made them wait for 10 minutes as we all were angry with what they did in Kargil amid the ongoing peace talks between the two sides.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The war could have concluded before Bhandari told TOI that the meeting between the two DGMOs went on for three hours, during which the Indian DGMO gave them 'directions on the Dos and Don'ts while fully retreating beyond LoC.' 'Zia and his three associates just took notes without saying anything, for obvious reasons as they were on the losing side… when our DGMO asked if they had any doubt, Zia just replied, 'No doubt',' Bhandari revealed. Bhandari recalled that one of the conditions laid by Lt Gen Nirmal Chander Vij, the veteran who served for nearly 40 years in the Army, was that the Pakistanis were not supposed to lay landmines while retreating from Indian territory, but they 'did the exact opposite'. 'Against the accepted conditions, they continued to attack our troops in various skirmishes, and we decided to teach them a lesson by carrying out heavy shelling on their posts across LoC from July 15 to 24. It was only then that they fully pulled back, and the conflict officially ended on July 25. If they had accepted the conditions in the first place without further violence, it would have ended by July 16 or 17,' Bhandari recalled.
India Gazette
04-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Rajiv Gandhi acted as 'middleman' in a fighter jet deal," alleges BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, citing WikiLeaks report
New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has levelled serious allegations against former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi, claiming that Rajiv Gandhi acted as a 'middleman' in a proposed fighter aircraft deal during the 1970s, citing a past WikiLeaks report. The BJP MP also accused former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of 'excessive interference' in defence deals, citing those reports. In a social media post on X, Dubey wrote, 'In 2013, WikiLeaks made shocking revelations about former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. 1. On October 21, 1975, a Swedish diplomat informed the American government that the Saab-Scania company wanted to sell Viggen fighter jets to India, and the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's pilot son, Rajiv Gandhi, was acting as a middleman? 2. The then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was excessively interfering in defence deals?' Claiming that these reports were published in 2013, during the Congress-led UPA regime, Dubey questioned why the Manmohan Singh government didn't take action against the US or Swedish governments when these allegations surfaced. The social media post reads, 'This came to light when the Congress government was in power at the centre, Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister of the country, why did the then-Indian government not take action against the American government or the Swedish government? If only?' BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has been consistently targeting the Congress party and the Gandhi family with allegations of corruption and compromising national interests. Earlier on July 1, continuing his attack against Congress, Dubey alleged that India was 'sold' to the Soviet Union by the Gandhi family. Citing a CIA document, Dubey reiterated his allegations that under the leadership of the late Congress leader HKL Bhagat, the Soviet Union funded more than 150 Congress MPs, and Congress candidate Subhadra Joshi took Rs 5 lakhs from the German government from 1977-80. Dubey further alleged that the US Ambassador Moynihan mentioned in his book that he gave money to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. 'The diaries of CIA and Mitrokhin mention that under the leadership of the late Congress leader HKL Bhagat, more than 150 Congress MPs were funded by the Soviet Union. It also mentions that a total of 16,000 news articles were published by Russia, according to their wish... If you look at it, it seems that our country was sold to Soviet Russia under the leadership of the Gandhi family,' Dubey told ANI. The BJP MP further said, 'What I said today is that on 10 May 1979, there was a discussion in Rajya Sabha, in the book written by the US Ambassador Moynihan mentions that he gave money to Indira Gandhi twice, there was a full debate on this in Rajya Sabha and I have mentioned the phone conversation between Nixon and Kissinger, in which they are talking about giving money, how Congress can be managed, how the government can be managed. All these things are alarming.' (ANI)
South Wales Guardian
05-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
MP repeats calls for inquiry into British role in 1984 storming of Golden Temple
Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) referred to official documents released by the government in 2014 which showed the UK was aware of the plans by then-Indian president Indira Gandhi for troops to storm the temple to break up a protest by Sikh separatists who wanted an independent homeland to be formed, called Khalistan. The documents indicated Margaret Thatcher's government sent an SAS officer to help the Indian government plan the attack in 1984. Thousands of protesters gathered in central London on Sunday to call on the Government to honour previous manifesto commitments, and pledges by Sir Keir Starmer, to hold an independent inquiry. Speaking at business questions in the Commons, Mr Juss said: 'I was in the House during business questions on January 9 when (Tan Singh Dhesi) referred to the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in June 1984, ordered by the then-Indian government. 'Documents revealed in 2014 said that the Thatcher government had helped their Indian counterpart by providing advice for Operation Blue Star. Since 2014, there have been many calls made and assurances given to establish the extent of the British government's involvement. 'So will the leader of the House please now agree for a statement to be given to the House for an independent, judge-led public inquiry, to get to the bottom of what happened, in her own words.' After the protest on Sunday, Mr Dhesi, a Labour MP, told Sky News he had been informed by ministers and Downing Street that an inquiry was 'under consideration'. After the release of documents in 2014, an internal government review found the UK's role was 'purely advisory' and given months beforehand. Then-foreign secretary William Hague said British military advice was given to India ahead of the deadly attack but said it had only 'limited impact'. Official Indian figures put the death toll at 575 according to the former Tory leader, who now sits as Lord Hague of Richmond in the House of Lords. Commons leader Lucy Powell said: 'It was raised with me previously a few months ago and I made clear what I hope would happen on that occasion. I absolutely understand the concerns of members across this House and from those from the Sikh community and many of those he represents as well. 'I did follow up when I was asked that previously, I have followed up these issues with the Foreign Office. I'm sorry to say I'm still waiting to hear about that from them, but I will ensure that when I do, he and other members are made fully aware of that and the House is updated.'
Leader Live
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
MP repeats calls for inquiry into British role in 1984 storming of Golden Temple
Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) referred to official documents released by the government in 2014 which showed the UK was aware of the plans by then-Indian president Indira Gandhi for troops to storm the temple to break up a protest by Sikh separatists who wanted an independent homeland to be formed, called Khalistan. The documents indicated Margaret Thatcher's government sent an SAS officer to help the Indian government plan the attack in 1984. Thousands of protesters gathered in central London on Sunday to call on the Government to honour previous manifesto commitments, and pledges by Sir Keir Starmer, to hold an independent inquiry. Speaking at business questions in the Commons, Mr Juss said: 'I was in the House during business questions on January 9 when (Tan Singh Dhesi) referred to the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in June 1984, ordered by the then-Indian government. 'Documents revealed in 2014 said that the Thatcher government had helped their Indian counterpart by providing advice for Operation Blue Star. Since 2014, there have been many calls made and assurances given to establish the extent of the British government's involvement. 'So will the leader of the House please now agree for a statement to be given to the House for an independent, judge-led public inquiry, to get to the bottom of what happened, in her own words.' After the protest on Sunday, Mr Dhesi, a Labour MP, told Sky News he had been informed by ministers and Downing Street that an inquiry was 'under consideration'. After the release of documents in 2014, an internal government review found the UK's role was 'purely advisory' and given months beforehand. Then-foreign secretary William Hague said British military advice was given to India ahead of the deadly attack but said it had only 'limited impact'. Official Indian figures put the death toll at 575 according to the former Tory leader, who now sits as Lord Hague of Richmond in the House of Lords. Commons leader Lucy Powell said: 'It was raised with me previously a few months ago and I made clear what I hope would happen on that occasion. I absolutely understand the concerns of members across this House and from those from the Sikh community and many of those he represents as well. 'I did follow up when I was asked that previously, I have followed up these issues with the Foreign Office. I'm sorry to say I'm still waiting to hear about that from them, but I will ensure that when I do, he and other members are made fully aware of that and the House is updated.'
North Wales Chronicle
05-06-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
MP repeats calls for inquiry into British role in 1984 storming of Golden Temple
Warinder Juss (Wolverhampton West) referred to official documents released by the government in 2014 which showed the UK was aware of the plans by then-Indian president Indira Gandhi for troops to storm the temple to break up a protest by Sikh separatists who wanted an independent homeland to be formed, called Khalistan. The documents indicated Margaret Thatcher's government sent an SAS officer to help the Indian government plan the attack in 1984. Thousands of protesters gathered in central London on Sunday to call on the Government to honour previous manifesto commitments, and pledges by Sir Keir Starmer, to hold an independent inquiry. Speaking at business questions in the Commons, Mr Juss said: 'I was in the House during business questions on January 9 when (Tan Singh Dhesi) referred to the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar in June 1984, ordered by the then-Indian government. 'Documents revealed in 2014 said that the Thatcher government had helped their Indian counterpart by providing advice for Operation Blue Star. Since 2014, there have been many calls made and assurances given to establish the extent of the British government's involvement. 'So will the leader of the House please now agree for a statement to be given to the House for an independent, judge-led public inquiry, to get to the bottom of what happened, in her own words.' After the protest on Sunday, Mr Dhesi, a Labour MP, told Sky News he had been informed by ministers and Downing Street that an inquiry was 'under consideration'. After the release of documents in 2014, an internal government review found the UK's role was 'purely advisory' and given months beforehand. Then-foreign secretary William Hague said British military advice was given to India ahead of the deadly attack but said it had only 'limited impact'. Official Indian figures put the death toll at 575 according to the former Tory leader, who now sits as Lord Hague of Richmond in the House of Lords. Commons leader Lucy Powell said: 'It was raised with me previously a few months ago and I made clear what I hope would happen on that occasion. I absolutely understand the concerns of members across this House and from those from the Sikh community and many of those he represents as well. 'I did follow up when I was asked that previously, I have followed up these issues with the Foreign Office. I'm sorry to say I'm still waiting to hear about that from them, but I will ensure that when I do, he and other members are made fully aware of that and the House is updated.'
