New Delhi: Leaders of various political parties on Tuesday congratulated the Indian Air Force (IAF) at an all-party meeting called by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, to explain them about the airstrikes that were conducted on terrorists training camps situated across the Line of Control (LoC) during the wee hours of Tuesday.
The Congress said that it will support security forces in their endeavour to finish terrorism coming into India from outside. Ms Swaraj briefed the leaders, who included Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad, Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brian, Omar Abdullah of National Conference and Biju Janata Dal leader Bhartruhari Mahtab, on the airstrikes carried out in the early hours.
Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley, both members of the Cabinet Committee on Security such as Ms Swaraj, were also present in the meeting, official sources said.
Mr Azad later told reporters that political parties lauded the IAF strikes to destroy terror camps in a ‘clean’ operation as there were no civilian casualties.
“We will support our security forces in their endeavour to finish terrorism coming into Indian from outside. The good part was that it was a very clean operation,” he said.
NCP’s Praful Patel, BSP's Satish Mishra and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally Ramdas Athawale also attended the meeting.
Earlier in a swift and precise airstrike, India bombed and destroyed Jaish-e-Mohammed's biggest training camp in Pakistan, inflicting heavy casualties of terrorists.
The action came almost two weeks after the Pulwama attacks where 40 CRPF personnel were killed, when an explosives-laden vehicle had collided into a bus carrying them on February 14.
“I am happy that representatives of all parties unanimously congratulated the IAF. They also assured their support to the government in all its actions against terrorism. I am happy that all parties showed their togetherness without discriminating between parties,” Ms Swaraj said after the meeting.
