Mamata slams Modi govt for missing 'golden opportunity' to wrest control of PoK

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for failing to pre-empt the April 22 terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as for missing out on the “golden opportunity” last month to wrest control of India’s territory under illegal occupation of Pakistan.

She, however, lauded the bravery that the armed forces of India displayed while carrying out precision strikes on the terrorist camps in Pakistan and the areas under illegal occupation of Pakistan, as well as while repulsing the retaliatory strikes by Pakistan between May 7 and 10.

The chief minister was speaking at the state assembly before a resolution was unanimously adopted, commending the armed forces of India for the strikes on the terror hubs across India’s Line of Control as well as the undisputed stretch of the border with Pakistan. The assembly, however, witnessed a war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which objected to the absence of any reference to the “Operation Sindoor” in the resolution, which was moved by Speaker Biman Banerjee himself.

“Why is there an objection to the word 'Sindoor' in the resolution? Why is the name missing?” Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition and the state BJP heavyweight, asked, alleging that the omission was a deliberate attempt by the ruling TMC to undermine the success and significance of ‘Operation Sindoor’.

“We will fight against those who talk about Pakistan while living here, who support the terrorist organisation Ansarullah Bangla,” added Adhikari.

Banerjee called the April 22 killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, at Baisaran near Pahalgam in J&K a “huge lapse” in the internal security by the BJP-led government in the Centre.

“Why were no security forces or police personnel present at the spot of the terror attack? Why was not a single terrorist caught? How did such an attack happen in a high-security zone?" the TMC supremo asked, adding: “We don't support terrorism; it has no religion, caste, or creed", she added, demanding that the terrorists, who carried out the carnage, be brought to justice expeditiously.

She said that India had missed out on a “golden opportunity” to take back the J&K areas under illegal occupation of Pakistan during the cross-border military offensive and counter-offensive last month. "Pakistan has become the vice chair of the UN's anti-terror committee. How? Were we lacking in diplomatic relations?" she asked, but lauded External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as “a good person”.

The TMC supremo also asked why the prime minister had not yet visited the site of the April 22 terrorist attacks. “You just roam around promoting sindoor (vermilion). We respect sindoor. You don't respect women. Why didn't the prime minister visit the attack site?" she asked, amidst chants of "Modi-Modi" by the BJP members of the legislative assembly.