Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy sought an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the reasons for the premature halt of military operations against Pakistan and also on Rafael jets allegedly downed during Operation Sindoor.
Addressing the Jai Hind Yatra of the Congress, in support of the Defence forces, in Hyderabad on Thursday, he questioned why an all-party meeting was not convened before declaring a ceasefire after just four days of military strikes.
“Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge supported the Centre’s efforts and demanded that Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) be merged with India. But why did the Modi government rush to end the war and at whose behest?” he asked.
Mr. Gandhi made it clear that the Congress stood firmly with the Prime Minister in the fight against terrorism. “Mr. Gandhi demanded that every terrorist responsible for spilling Indian blood in Pahalgam be wiped out,” the Chief Minister reminded.
Mr. Revanth Reddy questioned the Modi government for halting the war effort allegedly at the behest of U.S. President Donald Trump, and called it a betrayal of national interest. The government must make its position clear on this claim, he said.
Drawing comparisons with the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s bold leadership, Mr. Revanth Reddy reminded people of her decisive action against China and Pakistan, including the historic 1971 war, which led to the creation of Bangladesh. “Indira Gandhi even stood up to the U.S. when it tried to interfere. That’s the kind of leadership India needs today,” he said.
Lashing out at the BJP’s recent Tiranga Rally, the Chief Minister said, “War is not BJP’s business. This is a matter of national security. The BJP has demoralised our soldiers, and the Jai Hind Yatra was to restore confidence among our Armed Forces.”
The Chief Minister also criticised the lack of action by the Centre following the death of Colonel Santosh Kumar from Telangana in a skirmish with Chinese forces. “India needs a courageous and determined leader like Rahul Gandhi to steer the nation through difficult times,” he asserted.
Earlier, he led a huge rally that was attended by senior Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy, D Sridhar Babu, Ponnam Prabhakar, AICC in charge Meenakshi Natarajan, TPCC president Mahesh Goud.
Published – May 29, 2025 09:27 pm IST
