Congress leader Udit Raj questioned the timing of the Pahalgam attack mastermind’s encounter, suggesting it was orchestrated to coincide with the Parliament debate on Operation Sindoor. He speculated the terrorist was already in custody and the army was instructed to delay action for “event management.
Congress leader Udit Raj questioned the timing of Operation Mahadev, suggesting the timing may have been deliberately aligned with Parliament’s debate on Operation Sindoor — describing it as “event management.” He implied that the terrorist involved in the Pahalgam attack might have been neutralized earlier, but only acted upon when advantageous politically—with key actions postponed to coincide with the Parliament discussion
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The Times of India
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🔍 Background & Context
🕵️ Operation Mahadev
Conducted on July 28, 2025, by Indian Army para-commandos, resulting in the death of three terrorists near Srinagar, including the alleged mastermind of the April 22 Pahalgam attack—codenamed Sulieman alias Asif, along with Jibran and Hamza Afghani
The Times of India
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The Times of India
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The operation followed surveillance signals indicating satellite phone activity by the attackers
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🏛️ Parliamentary Debate: Operation Sindoor
In response to the Pahalgam attack, the Indian government initiated Operation Sindoor (May 6–7, 2025), targeting terror camps in Pakistan and PoK
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The Financial Express
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The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha engaged in extended debate over the operation and its aftermath in late July 2025, coinciding with Udit Raj’s comments
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Udit Raj’s Core Assertions
Delaying the operation: He claimed the army was held back from acting promptly, possibly to ensure the encounter could be timed during parliamentary debates for political optics.
Event management rhetoric: He labeled the act of coordinating security operations with government communication as political choreography: “event management.”
Why not earlier?: He questioned why the terrorist (and others involved) were not neutralized sooner.
Where are the rest?: He demanded clarity on whether all conspirators have been targeted or if others remain at large
The Times of India
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The Times of India
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🧭 Why Now? Political Timing & Messaging
The operation’s timing, coming at the start of a major parliamentary debate, appears strategically significant.
Udit Raj—and other opposition voices—are questioning whether national security decisions are being shaped as political messaging tools, rather than solely based on intelligence readiness.
The contrast between late May’s Operation Sindoor reprisals and late July’s factual encounter is central to his criticism.
✅ Summary
Udit Raj questioned why the army didn’t strike earlier and suggested the operation was timed to coincide with parliamentary speeches on Operation Sindoor, implying political strategy over prompt intelligence action.
The claim casts a shadow over whether the operation was driven by counter-terror imperatives or leveraged for political optical.
