Asaduddin Owaisi
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Does this government have the courage to telephone the families of victims of Pahalgam terror strike and say we have taken revenge through Operation Sindoor, now you watch India-Pakistan cricket match, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi took on the government on Monday as both countries are scheduled to face each other in Asia Cup.
Participating in a debate on Operation Sindoor, Owaisi said his conscience does not allow him to watch an India-Pakistan match. He claimed that there was an "euphoria" in the country following the military action but the government has failed to capitalise on it.
Owaisi, who was part of a multi-party delegation sent abroad by the government after Operation Sindoor, said the Pakistan Army, ISI and the Pakistani Deep State want to weaken India. He said India should do everything possible to weaken the adversaries but warned that it cannot be done through running bulldozers and creating hatred in the country.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that "blood and water" cannot flow together and talks and terror too cannot happen simultaneously, the Hyderabad MP said India have stopped trade and 80 per cent of water flow into Pakistan.
"Then will you play a cricket match? My conscience does not allow me to watch that match. Does this government have the courage to call the 25 dead people and say we have taken revenge in Operation Sindoor, now you watch the match with Pakistan," he said. India and Pakistan will face each other in Asia Cup in September.
He said it is a matter of great regret that Pahalgam happened. "Who did Pahalgam? We have 7.5 lakh army and central paramilitary force. From where did these four rats enter and kill our Indian citizens? On whom will accountability be fixed?" he said.
If the Lieutenant Governor is responsible, he should be sacked and if it was police or Intelligence Bureau, action should be taken against them, he said.
Owaisi claimed that the government's policy on Kashmir, which included the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories, was a failure, as it could not prevent Pahalgam attack. He also questioned foreign policy saying India could not convince its strategic partner US not to entertain Pakistan.
"A white man (Donald Trump) in White House announced the ceasefire...Is this longstanding friendship? We are not being able to tell the US. The External Affairs Minister visited China recently and did he ask the Chinese why did they provide weapons to Pakistan," he said.