Operation Sindoor debate: ‘They never asked how many enemy aircraft we shot down’ – Rajnath Singh hits out at opposition over queries | India News

NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Monday targeted the opposition in the Lok Sabha, accusing them of prioritising the wrong questions during discussions on Operation Sindoor.Also Read | ‘Operation Sindoor to resume if … ‘: Rajnath Singh tells Lok Sabha how Indian strikes rattled Pakistan; dismisses ‘pressure’ chargeResponding to queries raised by some opposition MPs about possible Indian casualties, Rajnath Singh said their line of questioning did not reflect the nation’s sentiment.“Few members of the opposition have been asking how many of our aircraft were shot down? I feel their question does not adequately represent our national sentiments. They have not asked us how many enemy aircraft our Armed Forces shot down?” Singh said in the Lok Sabha.He added, “If they must ask a question, it should be whether India destroyed terrorist bases, and the answer to that is, yes… If you have a question to ask, ask this: Were any of our brave soldiers harmed in this operation? The answer is, no, none of our soldiers were harmed.”

Reiterating that the opposition was failing in its role to raise meaningful and responsible questions, the defence minister said the success of Operation Sindoor had already been communicated earlier and again in the House that day.Also read: Operation Sindoor debate: Gaurav Gogoi leads opposition charge against government in Lok Sabha; asks ‘how terrorists reached Pahalgam?’“In any country, the public assigns different responsibilities to the ruling party and the opposition. Both have their own roles, and it is natural to have healthy democratic discussions. The job of the ruling party is to work in the interest of the people, while the opposition’s job is to ask the necessary questions related to public issues from the government,” Singh said.Calling for focus on larger national objectives instead of what he termed “comparably minor matters,” Singh warned that unnecessary questioning could distract from national security and the morale of armed forces.Also read: ‘Operation Sindoor to resume if … ‘: Rajnath Singh tells Lok Sabha how Indian strikes rattled Pakistan; dismisses ‘pressure’ charge“When our goals are big, we should not focus on relatively small issues. Because by continuously focusing on small issues, attention can be diverted from major issues like national security and the honour and morale of our soldiers — which seems to be happening with some of our friends in the opposition,” he said.