'New India' to eliminate terrorists inside their hideouts: Assam CM

Guwahati, May 11 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday that Operation Sindoor demonstrates how ‘New India’ is determined to pursue and eliminate terrorists wherever they may hide.

He also praised the armed forces for successfully neutralising terrorists and targeting key military and terror infrastructure in Pakistan during the mission.

"As I watched the excellent briefing by our DGMOs a short while ago, we remain profoundly grateful to the exemplary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji and our valiant Armed Forces," Sarma said in a post on X.

He also mentioned that it has been demonstrated with irrefutable evidence that Operation Sindoor has eliminated over 100 Pakistani terrorists and damaged critical military and terror infrastructure of our enemy.

"But above all, it sent a strong deterrence that ‘New India’ will track terrorists to the ends of the earth and eliminate them, no matter where they hide - at land, air or sea," Sarma added.

Earlier, Sarma took a dig at former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, accusing her of “poorly” managing the situation following the creation of Bangladesh after India’s landmark 1971 victory over Pakistan.

Sarma claimed that the political leadership at that time failed to capitalise on a “historic opportunity” during that crucial period. His remarks came amid criticism from Congress leaders targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following U.S. President Donald Trump's statement on Saturday that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” understanding after the US mediation.

The understanding between India and Pakistan includes a halt to all military actions - on land, air, and sea - effective immediately.

Several opposition leaders have also drawn comparisons between PM Modi’s approach and Indira Gandhi’s handling of the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Sarma titled his post as ‘The Myth of Bangladesh's Creation: A Strategic Triumph, A Diplomatic Folly'.

“India's 1971 military victory was decisive and historic. It broke Pakistan in two and gave birth to Bangladesh. But while our soldiers delivered a stunning battlefield success, India's political leadership failed to secure lasting strategic gains," he said.

He claimed that the creation of Bangladesh is often hailed as a diplomatic triumph, but history tells a different story.

“India's military triumph in 1971 was not matched by strategic foresight. What could have been a new regional order was reduced to a one-sided act of generosity. Had Mrs. Indira Gandhi been alive today, the nation would have questioned her for mishandling the decisive victory won by our armed forces. The creation of Bangladesh was not a bargain, it was a historic opportunity lost,” Sarma said.

Presenting a set of six explanations in support of his allegation, the Chief Minister said the creation of Bangladesh was a secular promise, but it has become an ‘Islamic reality’.

“India supported a secular Bangladesh. Yet by 1988, Islam was declared the state religion. Today, political Islam thrives in Dhaka, undermining the very values India fought to protect,” he added.

Talking about alleged persecution of Hindus in the neighbouring nation, Sarma said the minority community was once constituted 20 per cent of Bangladesh's population, but it has now dwindled to under 8 per cent on account of 'systematic discrimination and violence', which continued and became a "shameful reality that India has largely ignored."

--IANS

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