Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 23 : Kerala Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader V.D. Satheesan has criticised the involvement of senior RSS leader Gurumurthy in a lecture series at Raj Bhavan, on Operation Sindoor on Thursday.
LoP Satheesan criticised what he claimed the politicisation of the event, stating that senior RSS leader Gurumurthy's speech was political and critical of previous central governments, particularly Congress governments.
Addressing reporters, LoP Satheesan said, "Under the leadership of Kerala Governor, they are conducting a series of lectures at the Raj Bhavan regarding #OperationSindoor. But on the last day, senior RSS leader Gurumurthy attended the meeting and criticised earlier central governments, Congress governments. It was a political speech."
While Satheesan said that they (Congress) has no objection to the Raj Bhavan conducting lecture series on Operation Sindoor, he remarked that the event should bring defence and foreign affairs experts rather than RSS leaders. "We don't have any objection to Raj Bhavan conducting a series of lectures regarding Operation Sindoor. The problem is that they have to bring defence experts as well as foreign affairs experts, not the RSS leaders. To make such a lecture at the premises of the Raj Bhavan, making a political speech - there is an impropriety. We condemn that.", Satheesan said.
The Kerala LoP described the incident as unfortunate and requested, "It is very unfortunate that under the leadership of the Governor there was such a meeting. We request the State Government that they should also inform the Governor raising a protest..."
Earlier in the day, a high-level all-party delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde held meetings with UAE leadership on the significance of Operation Sindoor and reaffirmed India's firm stance against cross-border terrorism. UAE is the first stop of the broader four-nation diplomatic outreach by the all-party delegation.
"The delegations held meetings with UAE leadership and media to brief on the significance of Operation Sindoor and reaffirm India's firm stance against cross-border terrorism," Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, said in a press release.
The delegation met Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence.Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan conveyed his deep condolences for the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
The delegation highlighted the perpetration of cross-border terrorism and Pakistan's efforts to cause social disharmony in India"India and UAE will tackle terrorism together. The UAE will always stand by India," the UAE Minister said.
The all-party delegation comprises MPs Bansuri Swaraj, ET Mohmd Basheer, Atul Garg, Sasmit Patra, Manan Kumar Mishra, BJP leader Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy.The delegation held substantive discussions with Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee of Federal National Council and other senior Emirati parliamentarians.
The delegation underscored the precise, measured, and non-escalatory nature of Operation Sindoor against the barbaric terrorist attack on the tourists in Kashmir on April 22. The UAE was among the first countries to issue a statement categorically condemning the Pahalgam terrorist attack.
UAE leaders, President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan personally conveyed their condolences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over phone calls.