Why Were Terrorists Killed Yesterday…?

 

 

 

 Akhilesh Yadav Questions Timing of Operation Mahadev

 

Akhilesh Yadav sparked a fresh political debate in Parliament after questioning the timing of Operation Mahadev — the security forces’ recent encounter that killed three terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack. The government defended the operation as intelligence-based.

News Desk: A day after three terrorists involved in the Pahalgam massacre were gunned down in a high-stakes counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir, Samajwadi Party leader and MP Akhilesh Yadav has stirred controversy by questioning the timing of the action, alleging that the government may have timed the encounter for political gain.

On Sunday, Indian security forces launched Operation Mahadev in the dense forests of Dachigam near Srinagar, killing three heavily armed terrorists identified as Suleman (alias Hashim Musa), Afghan (alias Abu Hamza), and Jibran (alias Yasir). All three were Pakistani nationals affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s shadow group, The Resistance Front, and were allegedly involved in the brutal April 22 attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead, including several tourists.

While the operation was widely hailed by the government and praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “avenging the Pahalgam killings,” Akhilesh Yadav, speaking in the Lok Sabha on Monday, asked pointedly, “Why were the terrorists killed yesterday? Why not earlier? What was the government waiting for?”

Yadav’s comments came during a heated debate over Operation Sindoor, another military response to cross-border terrorism, and appeared to suggest that the BJP government had orchestrated the timing of the encounter to coincide with ongoing parliamentary discussions to deflect criticism over security lapses.

The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister further questioned the rationale behind earlier government decisions, including the brief ceasefire declared in March, and accused the ruling party of using national security operations to distract from policy failures and consolidate political narratives.

His remarks sparked an immediate backlash from the treasury benches, with Home Minister Amit Shah defending the operation. Shah asserted that the action was based on “concrete and time-sensitive intelligence” gathered from detainees and electronic surveillance. “These terrorists were responsible for the killing of innocent civilians in Pahalgam. They were tracked meticulously and eliminated once their exact location was confirmed,” Shah said.

He also revealed that all three terrorists were carrying Pakistani IDs, ammunition, and weapons linked through ballistic reports to the Pahalgam attack site.

Prime Minister Modi, too, responded sharply to the opposition’s skepticism, saying, “Do we need to look at the calendar to kill terrorists? Should we wait for a Saawan ka Somwar?” His remarks were seen as a strong rebuke to those questioning the operational independence of the armed forces.

Meanwhile, security sources clarified that the operation was greenlit after intercepts revealed fresh movement of the suspects in the Dachigam forest area. The multi-agency mission reportedly lasted over 24 hours and involved close coordination between Army Para SF units, CRPF personnel, and Jammu & Kashmir Police.

The successful elimination of the three wanted terrorists has been projected by the government as a major counter-terror success. However, the opposition’s criticism has reignited a broader debate over the politicisation of national security, especially in the wake of public and parliamentary scrutiny over the handling of the Pahalgam massacre.

As tensions continue to rise in Parliament, the government maintains that operations like Mahadev are solely driven by intelligence inputs and national interest, not politics.