Karnataka Congress MLA Kothur Manjunath from Kolar City has cast aspersions on “Operation Sindoor,” claiming it has been ineffective and did not provide justice to the family members of the Pahalgam terror attack.
“Apart from sending four fighter jets to bomb nine terrorist camps in Pakistan, what else has the government done? Is that all the value we place on the Arashina Kumkuma (turmeric and vermillion) of 26 women,” he said while talking to the media in Kolar.
“The government claims to have killed a few terrorists under the name of Operation Sindoor, but nothing has been confirmed. If terrorists can enter our country, kill our people, and escape unscathed, isn’t that a glaring security failure? What was our army doing at the border? Did they have any plan at all,” he questioned.
The lawmaker added, “Nothing was done. Just to show off, they sent three-four flights and returned. Will that compensate for the 26–28 people killed in Pahalgam? Is this how we compensate those women? Is this how we console them? Is this how we show respect?”
?"Operation Sindoor was a show-off; nothing was done."
— Janta Journal (@JantaJournal) May 16, 2025
Karnataka Congress MLA Kothur Manjunath questioned the effectiveness of Operation Sindoor and the government's claims.
Another Congress leader speaks against the Indian Army pic.twitter.com/RavwUjfXAi
The politician inquired whether those killed in Indian strikes included the assaliants of the Baisaran Valley attack on 22nd April. “Have they confirmed that at least 100 terrorists have been killed? Who were those terrorists who crossed our border? What are their identities? Why was there no security at the border? How did they escape? We should identify the root, branches, and stems of terrorism and eliminate them,” he said.
Additionally, he asserted that there are contradictory reports regarding the number of terrorists killed and the destruction of Pakistani terror bases. “We hit them here, we hit them there? All the TV channels are telling different stories. One says they hit them like this, another says something else. Whom do we trust? Who was hit? Who died? Where is the official statement,” he challenged.
The Congress leader then said, “How they killed the husbands of those women right in front of their eyes? This cannot compensate them. This is not the solution.”
Notably, India has consistently outlined that no civilians were harmed in the military operation, maintaining that only terrorists were eliminated and that Pakistani military installations were targeted in the subsequent retaliation to the drone assaults.
The remarks have fueled the ongoing political feud between the opposition parties and the government over the operation’s conclusion. According to a government statement, at least 100 terrorists were killed and nine key terror launch sites were destroyed following the 7th May precision strikes by the Indian Armed Forces.
Notably, other members of his party have also made equally offensive comments about “Operation Sindoor.” Veteran Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan attacked the government over naming of the operation and charged that the codename was selected to gain “sentimental benefits.”
He claimed, “A war is fought with bombs, guns, and aircraft, and not on symbolism or tokenism. A war cannot be won through the name of the operation. The name of the operation is fine. Indian government might have thought that giving this name (Sindoor) to the operation, they might derive some sentimental benefits.”
Udit Raj, another Congressman, similarly expressed issues with the name and stated, “During discussions with intellectuals, it was pointed out that Sindoor is associated with a specific religion, and it would have been better if a different name was chosen.”
“Much better reply needs to be given, this is bare minimum. Our forces did what govt of India told them to do, but the question again arises. Was every single terrorist killed? Will there won’t be another Pahalgam,” Congress leader Rashid Alvi asked. Controversial Congress leader Imran Masood also expressed doubts about the operation.
“How many (terrorists) were killed and what all damages could they inflict, this also should be announced, then we will feel at peace,” he insisted. He previosuly made fun of 2019 Balakote airstrike in an interview and announced, “The whole world mocked the air strike. Pakistanis were saying that they killed our three crows.”
India responded with military action against the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist network in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) including Muridke and Bahawalpur after terrorists from The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, killed 25 Indians and one Nepali in the Pahalgam attack after establishing their Hindu identity.
