Overview

• On June 7, West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of halting the Indian Army’s strikes during Operation Sindoor out of fear of a stronger nation, calling him a ‘kapurush’ (coward).
• BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya condemned Hakim’s remarks as a ‘disgraceful attack’ orchestrated by Mamata Banerjee and accused him of putting partisan hate above national interest.
• Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 to strike terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
• The ceasefire agreed on May 10 has held without third-party mediation, with Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar dismissing claims that the United States brokered the truce.
• The dispute highlights deepening political rifts over India’s counterterror policy and ongoing diplomatic efforts to expose Pakistan’s alleged sponsorship of terrorism.