'Unko maloom nahi hoga ki…': J&K LG Manoj Sinha counters Opposition's doubts on Operation Mahadev timing

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha. (AFP)

Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha has hit back at the Opposition for questioning the timing of Operation Mahadev, in which security forces gunned down the masterminds of the Pahalgam terror attack. Appearing on Rajat Sharma’s Aap Ki Adalat over the weekend, Sinha addressed a wide range of issues, including the Opposition’s doubts about the operation’s timing.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had asked why the three terrorists were killed on the same day Home Minister Amit Shah was scheduled to reply to the debate in Parliament’s ongoing Monsoon Session. Responding sharply, Sinha said, "Unko maaloom nahin hoga (he may not know) that Operation Mahadev began on April 22 itself, and the directive was clear — the killers must not be allowed to flee from Kashmir at any cost. God (Ishwar) helps those whose ‘neeyat’ (intention) is good, and they had to die on that very day."

Recalling the April 22 terror attack in Baisaran Valley, Sinha grew emotional: “I could not sleep after the Pahalgam massacre. I only slept peacefully after the three killers were eliminated.”

On why no policeman was present in Baisaran Valley, Sinha explained: "The person offering ziplining and other leisure activities to tourists in Baisaran was a private operator. The J&K Tourism Development Corporation had not granted him any permission. He did not inform the administration or police before starting operations. For four years, there had been peace across the Kashmir Valley, and several small tourist spots had come up."

Reacting to former CM Omar Abdullah’s remark that the Lt Governor’s failure to provide security to tourists had put the nation on the brink of war, Sinha said: "If he has said this, I welcome it. But he must also admit that for decades, Pakistan issued a ‘strike calendar’ for the Valley, forcing schools, colleges, and markets to remain shut for 132 days a year. There were frequent stone-pelting incidents, and security personnel were being killed."

On comments by Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut that there was no proof the killers checked if tourists were Hindus before shooting them, Sinha countered: "I was in the post-mortem room with the victims’ relatives. They were loudly saying (chilla-chilla kar keh rahe the) that the killers asked whether the tourists were Hindus."

Asked about Rahul Gandhi’s claim that PM Modi had “surrendered” by allowing a ceasefire, Sinha replied: "Let him think so. This will continue for 10 more years (10 saal aisa aur chalega)." On whether the ceasefire was called hastily, he said: "Bhavavesh mein hum bahut aage soch lete hain (In emotional moments, we tend to overthink). It was left to the armed forces to decide the place, timing, and mode. The objective was clear — to eliminate the killers, their sponsors, and training camps. The Army achieved this easily. When Pakistan retaliated, our Army and Air Force destroyed 11 of their air bases, proving that all targets inside Pakistan are within our reach."

On Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan’s charge that the government was giving Hindu names such as Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev, Sinha clarified: "Perhaps he doesn’t know that the Dachigam hilly forest, where the terrorists were killed, is called Mahadev Ridge. The term ‘sindoor’ was used because our women were widowed by the killers, and their sindoor was wiped away."

Sinha also revealed that temples demolished in Kashmir are now being rebuilt: "As part of our conservation plan, we are restoring not only temples but also gurdwaras, churches, and even mosques in the Valley."

Mulayam Singh, Yogi Adityanath

Sinha recalled how the late Mulayam Singh Yadav once approached him inside Parliament and urged him to join the Samajwadi Party and remain an MP. "Mulayam Ji held my hand in the Parliament lobby and asked me to join his party. I humbly replied, ‘Main MP rahoon ya paidal rahoon, aapki party mein nahin jaoonga’ (Whether I remain an MP or a pedestrian, I will not join your party)."

Praising UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s governance, he said: "After the elimination of mafia gangsters in UP, there is no fear or terror among the people. The rule of law has been restored."

Asked if his name was floated for the post of UP CM in 2017, when Yogi Adityanath was chosen, Sinha said: "Naam chala, yeh maine television par dekha (I saw on TV that my name was under consideration). None of the party leaders told me I was being considered. The party decides whom to give the responsibility to."

Dismissing speculation that he visited Varanasi’s Sankatmochan temple in anticipation of becoming CM, Sinha clarified: "It was a coincidence. I had attended the post-funeral rites of local leader Bhanu Pratap Singh’s mother in Ghazipur. While returning from Varanasi, I stopped at Sankatmochan temple to pay obeisance."

When asked by Rajat Sharma if he was happy when Yogi Adityanath became CM, Sinha replied: "Swabhavik roop se accha laga" (Naturally, I felt happy).