Prime minister Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday brought up Operation Sindoor during a campaign rally in poll-bound Bihar, asserting that India’s retaliatory strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir had left the Congress’ “first family” sleepless, a reference to the Gandhis. “Blasts were happening in Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, but the Congress’ first family was spending sleepless nights here,” PM Modi said, according to news agency PTI. Operation Sindoor, carried out in the early hours of May 7, was India’s response to the killing of 26 civilians by Pakistan-backed terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22. Following the strikes, India and Pakistan engaged in cross-border exchanges until a ceasefire was reached on May 10 at Islamabad’s request.However, US President Donald Trump took the lead in announcing the ceasefire and has since claimed credit for brokering it multiple times, prompting the Congress-led opposition to question Prime Minister Modi for “halting” the operation at Trump’s insistence. The government has maintained that the ceasefire was the outcome of a bilateral understanding between India and Pakistan.‘Congress didn’t want to accept Tejashwi Yadav as CM face’The prime minister further claimed that the Congress, a part of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance), was “never willing” to accept Tejashwi Yadav as the opposition alliance’s chief ministerial candidate but agreed under “pressure” from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). “The Congress never wanted to announce the chief ministerial candidate in favour of the RJD. The RJD secured it by placing a katta (country-made pistol) on the head of the Congress. After the elections, the two alliance partners will be breaking each other’s heads. Such elements can never do good for Bihar,” PM Modi remarked.Yadav, Bihar’s former deputy chief minister and the current leader of the opposition, leads the RJD, the largest Mahagathbandhan constituent.“‘Jungle raj wallahs’ are set to get the worst drubbing in history. The people of Bihar have not forgotten the ‘jungle raj’ (lawlessness),” the PM added, referring to the period of RJD supremo and Tejashwi’s father, Lalu Prasad Yadav’s rule, often criticised by opponents for poor governance and law and order. PM Modi also predicted a sweeping victory for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a member of the NDA. Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11, with counting scheduled for November 14.