Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday launched a full-throttle attack on the BJP-led central government, questioning the achievements of Operation Sindoor and alleging that more innocent lives were lost while the militants involved in the Pahalgam carnage were still at large.

Mehbooba recently picked up a fight with chief minister Omar Abdullah over his call to revive the contentious Tulbul Navigation Project, which involves regulating the Jhelum’s waters before it flows into Pakistan, following it up with another offensive against the government’s decision to engage 4,000 ex-servicemen to secure vital installations amid rising unemployment here.

Mehbooba has now launched another attack on the Centre’s decision to clash with Pakistan over the Pahalgam killings. She was addressing the media after visiting border areas to assess the damage caused to lives and property during the hostilities.

Mehbooba said war was the solution “to nothing” as she regretted the losses of civilians, particularly children, on both sides. She said those advocating war should be sent to the borders in Jammu and Kashmir, along with their wives and children, to taste the brutalities of war.

She was asked how Operation Sindoor benefited the country.

“I do not know how it benefited. I can tell of losses. Our homes were destroyed, our children were killed, parents dug out graves for their children in their courtyards, a mother of two little kids — the wife of a Sardarji — was hit by a shell, ripping it apart,” she said.

“This is what I saw. I do not know what more was achieved. This is because militants, whom you call terrorists, who are involved (in the Pahalgam attack) have not been apprehended so far, there are no reports of them.”

Mehbooba questioned the claims that militants were killed on the other side during the operation, referring to external affairs minister S. Jaishankar saying he had forewarned Pakistan about the imminent attack.

“It means if you had warned (before the start of the operation), telling them that we are targeting terrorist camps, they must have had the opportunity to escape. For me, it is zero/zero (gain for India and Pakistan).”

She ridiculed the BJP’s reported allegations that leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had marked himself out as “pro-Pakistani” by asking whether India lost jets
because the Centre decided to inform Pakistan in advance about the operation.

“Unfortunately, whenever you raise a question, you are immediately labelled anti-national. India is a great country, India is a nation. BJP is not the nation, posing questions to the BJP or its government, I do not think it is anti-national or pro-Pakistani,” she said.