Mumbai, May 30 (IANS) Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra chief, Abu Asim Azmi, on Friday raised questions over the abrupt halt of Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the Pahalgam attack, and criticised the Central government for what he termed an incomplete operation.

His comments come amid internal debate within Congress, especially after leaders such as Shashi Tharoor and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid praised the Modi government’s actions on Operation Sindoor and the abrogation of Article 370. Both leaders were part of recent all-party delegations overseas and have since faced backlash, with critics labelling them “super spokespersons of the BJP.”

“Why wasn’t Operation Sindoor completed? Why did the government stop midway? The sindoor (vermilion) of many women was wiped away due to the terror attack in Pahalgam. We were fully prepared for war, so what happened that a ceasefire was announced within a day? No real retaliation against Pakistan was taken. The government must take strict action,” said Abu Azmi.

Azmi further responded to Salman Khurshid’s remarks made during an interaction with Indonesian think tanks and academics, where Khurshid said, “Kashmir had a major problem for a long time. Much of that was reflected in the thinking of the government in an article called the 370 of the Constitution, which somehow gave the impression that it was separate from the rest of the country. But Article 370 was abrogated, and it was finally put to an end.”

Azmi said that as far as Article 370 is concerned, the constitutional procedure should have been followed, adding that there was no Assembly in place at that time, and that’s why it was passed the way it was. “That process was flawed,” he said.

Azmi added, “Who says people are roaming freely in J&K? We were told that after Article 370 was removed and demonetisation implemented, terrorism would end. But every time we turn on the TV, there is news of clashes between terrorists and the armed forces. I don’t see any benefit from removing Article 370.”

He also commented on growing divisions within Congress after Tharoor’s praise for the Modi government in Panama, saying, “Today, everyone has become votaries of power.”

On Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s demand for clarity on the results of Operation Sindoor, Azmi said, “The government should explain about the Rafale controversy, and what was achieved. We could have responded to Pakistan more strongly.”

–IANS

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