Ambala (Haryana) [India], June 2 (ANI): Haryana Minister Anil Vij on Monday criticised Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge over his recent remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visits, saying the Prime Minister does not need to seek permission from Kharge or anyone else before travelling or reaching out to the people.

Speaking to ANI, Vij said, 'The PM won't ask him before going anywhere. Kharge is himself a lost pawn, and only successful people are asked. The Prime Minister is doing the right thing, reaching out to the people directly.'

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal also defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership on national security issues. Speaking on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's recent remarks, Khandelwal said that PM Modi is well-equipped to deal with national security threats without needing advice from opposition leaders.

On Sunday, Congress President and Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge took a veiled dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi while speaking to reporters. The Congress President asked the former to refrain from self-praise on Operation Sindoor and asserted that no one would speak against the country.

'We must know when to speak what. There should be unity in national matters and a focus on defeating our opponents. All leaders across the country should remain silent regarding matters of national security. It's better to understand what has happened before speaking about it. There should be no election campaign before the delegation reports are out. PM Modi should refrain from giving election speeches. There is no need for self-praise. The entire nation stands with our armed forces. PM Modi had earlier said that he had given full authority to the army, so why is he speaking again now? The Prime Minister should not make self-glorifying speeches. We have said, let's convene Parliament and talk. Even Pakistan has convened its Parliament and is holding discussions. None of us will speak against the nation,' the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Congress has been demanding a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. India carried out Operation Sindoor and launched precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, including one Nepali national.

A day earlier, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a special session of Parliament concerning Operation Sindoor, alleging that the government had 'misled the nation' and instead of clarifying US President Donald Trump's assertions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'is on an election blitz, taking personal credit for the valour of the Armed Forces'.

In a post on X, Kharge referred to remarks made by the Chief of Defence Staff during an interview and demanded an independent expert committee's comprehensive review of the country's defence preparedness.

'In the wake of the remarks made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in Singapore in an interview, there are some very important questions that need to be asked. These can only be asked if a Special Session of the Parliament is immediately convened. The Modi Govt has misled the nation. The fog of war is now clearing,' Kharge said. (ANI)