Mumbai: After calling for boycott of delegation diplomacy, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday stirred a fresh controversy by claiming that Operation Sindoor was a failure.
Raut, a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray, asserted that the opposition is silent on the issue for national interest but held Union Home Minister Shah accountable for the Pahalgam terrorist attack. “Operation Sindoor was launched because terrorists killed 26 innocent people in Pahalgam. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was responsible for it. As penance, Amit Shah should resign from his post. PM Modi should remove Amit Shah from the cabinet.…he has been unsuccessful as Home Minister,” he said.
The journalist-politician questioned why the terrorists involved in Pahalgam have not been caught yet and even accused the government of sheltering them in Dahod, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Gujarat. “Where are they….Where have you hidden the terrorists involved in Operation Sindoor? In Gujarat, in Dahod?…Modi was in Dahod yesterday….he was roaring from the place where (Mughal emperor) Aurangzeb was born,” he said.
Raut also claimed the military action against Pakistan during Operation Sindoor was halted on orders from US President Donald Trump.
The Rajya Sabha member was brutally trolled on X for his comments. Political leaders, cutting across party lines, also condemned his remarks.
Reactions
Maharashtra Minister Yogesh Ramdas Kadam
“In my opinion, calling Operation Sindoor a failure is an insult to our country. Our forces entered Pakistan and eliminated all the terrorist bases there… In my view, mocking such an operation is a disgrace to our country, and you are doing this all over the world…”
BJP National Spokesperson Tuhin A Sinha
“The conduct of Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’s party during and after Operation Sindoor has been extremely disappointing and shameful. Once again, through their negative approach, they have proven that this is no longer Balasaheb Thackeray’s party. Today, Sanjay Raut is questioning Operation Sindoor, while his own party member Priyanka Chaturvedi is representing India and enhancing the nation’s reputation in global diplomatic missions…”
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam
“Sanjay Raut has gone insane and is mentally unstable…”
NCP National Spokesperson and former MP Anand Paranjpe
“I feel pity for the wisdom of Sanjay Raut, as Operation Sindoor is being praised worldwide. Under the leadership of our nation’s respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, India has shown the world its strength by destroying terrorist training camps during Operation Sindoor, eliminating over a hundred terrorists…”