Owaisi Questions Fighter Jet Readiness, Criticizes Centre’s Strategy in Operation Sindoor

Rapid Summary

• Debate in Lok Sabha: AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi raised concerns about India’s defense preparedness during a discussion on Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack.
• Fighter Squadrons Issues: he highlighted that only 29 operational fighter squadrons exist against a sanctioned strength of 42 and compared India’s capability with adversaries, china (over 50 squadrons) and Pakistan (25 squadrons).
• Critique of Unity Utilisation: Owaisi criticized the government for failing to leverage national unity achieved during Operation Sindoor to promote internal cohesion while addressing minorities’ grievances.
• Questioned Cricket with Pakistan: He questioned the government’s consistency in its stance about terrorism, pointing out contradictions such as playing cricket matches with Pakistan despite strong rhetoric.
• Tribute Paid to Victims and Security Forces: Expressed grief for victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, including civilians killed, Kashmiri voices against terrorism, and Indian security personnel who lost their lives.
• Demand for Accountability: Urged proper accountability by suspending responsible parties like officials or police if failures occurred; emphasized deterrence failure despite previous actions like surgical strikes.
• Call for Anti-Terrorism Strategy Enhancement: Urged depoliticization of foreign policy and national security. Challenged the government to reinstate pakistan into FATF grey list leveraging international diplomacy.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The discussion in Lok Sabha highlights critical issues concerning India’s defence capabilities and its broader approach toward counterterrorism. The cited gap between sanctioned fighter squadron strength (42) versus operational ones (29) underscores longstanding struggles related to military resource allocation amid regional threats from China and Pakistan.This is a thought-provoking point requiring governmental introspection.

Owaisi’s critique regarding national unity after Operation Sindoor touches on an important societal dimension-weather equitable social cohesion can indeed bolster national resilience against external aggression. Such calls merit reflection beyond immediate politics.

The denunciation of “playing cricket” with Pakistan reflects questions over measured diplomatic inconsistency while dealing with unfriendly neighbors-a concern that resonates widely across both citizenry and policymakers alike.

debates like these are crucial opportunities for reinforcing strategies combining both defence preparedness alongside internal stability-a balance that remains pivotal for India maintaining long-term geopolitical assertiveness.

Read More: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/opposition-questions-government-on-security-lapses