While the government briefs the world after Operation Sindoor, Parliament and the public are left uninformed—raising grave concerns about democratic accountability.
In a powerful and pointed series of statements on social media, D. Raja, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), has raised urgent questions about the state of India’s foreign policy conduct, internal governance, and commitment to democratic values. His five-part tweet underscores a growing unease with the way India’s democracy is being handled in times of crisis and conflict.
1. Operation Sindoor: Parliament Ignored, World Courted
Raja opens with a blunt question:
“Why was this not discussed in Parliament? Why was this not discussed with political parties in India?”
He was referring to the Modi government’s move to send all-party delegations abroad — including to UN Security Council members — to brief them after the military operation in Kashmir, dubbed “Operation Sindoor.” While Indian emissaries engaged the global community, there was no parallel effort to brief the very institutions and people that sustain Indian democracy.
“It is unacceptable,” he asserts, “that foreign governments will be briefed while India’s own Parliament and people remain in the dark.”
2. Terror Tragedy, Political Opportunism
Raja sharply criticized the ruling party for leveraging a national tragedy for political gain:
1/ The government’s decision to send all-party delegations to key countries, including UNSC members, after Operation Sindoor has been marked by opacity and exclusion. Political parties were neither consulted nor briefed, and there is no clarity on the mandate of these…
— D. Raja (@ComradeDRaja) May 20, 2025
“While the country united in its response to terror, the BJP used the opportunity to deepen communal polarisation and target dissenters.”
He cited the arrest of Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad as emblematic of the government’s attempt to muzzle intellectual voices and minority communities. In Raja’s view, this is not governance, but vengeance disguised as security.
3. Ceasefire Secrecy and Nuclear Rhetoric
A particularly alarming dimension of Raja’s critique lies in his reference to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial comments about a nuclear standoff involving India. Despite Trump’s inflammatory remarks, the Indian government has failed to offer a clear denial or clarification:
“Even more worrying is the BJP’s failure to deny Donald Trump’s inflammatory remarks on a nuclear confrontation.”
He juxtaposed this with the Foreign Secretary’s statement to Parliament about a conventional war, questioning whether the government itself was unsure of what had transpired or simply unwilling to be transparent.
4. Photo-Ops vs. Policy Gains
In his fourth point, Raja evaluates 11 years of BJP’s foreign policy, concluding that it has yielded little strategic benefit.
Raja minced no words on the BJP’s international standing:
“After 11 years of the BJP’s foreign policy, we have no real diplomatic gain to show. No major country supported the government publicly or backed its line at the UNSC.”
Despite the photo ops and media buzz surrounding events like the G20 summit, India has gained no significant international support.
Moreover, he highlights the case of BJP leader Vijay Shah, who allegedly made communal remarks against a decorated army officer, Colonel Sofia Qureshi. Such incidents, Raja argues, only contribute to India’s growing international embarrassment.
He called out the BJP’s preoccupation with visuals over values, noting the irony of international meetings and media performances while democratic institutions are being weakened at home.
5. A Moral Call: Fix Home First
Concluding with a sober warning, Raja said:
“Before reaching out to the world, the Government must respect its own people, institutions, and Constitution. Real strength lies in transparency, not arrogance.”
This encapsulates the essence of his critique — that no amount of foreign briefings, photo-ops, or diplomatic spin can substitute for democratic legitimacy and internal accountability.
Respect Citizens, Not Just Global Spectators
D. Raja’s words serve not only as a political critique but as a moral reminder. In an era where nationalism is often projected through military operations and international grandstanding, the strength of a democracy must still be measured by how it treats its own people — in Parliament, in protest, and in public discourse. 
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