A day after the death of former Pakistani military dictator and President Pervez Musharraf, Indian politician, and former Member of Parliament Subramanian Swamy expressed his condolences on Twitter. Toeing the line of many other Indian liberals, Swamy was ‘sorrowful’ at the passing of the man he believed was ‘always anxious to find a way to peace with India’.
“The death of Fmr Pakistan President Gen. Musharraf is sorrowful for those like me who knew him personally. He came to power in Pakistan through a coup but was always anxious to find a way to peace with India. Of course bottom line is he was a Pakistani,” tweeted the former Rajya Sabha MP.
The death of Fmr Pakistan President Gen. Musharraf is sorrowful for those like me who knew him personally. He came to power in Pakistan through a coup but was always anxious to find a way to peace with India. Of course bottom line is he was a Pakistani.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) February 6, 2023
Swamy’s display of sympathy for the man who masterminded the 1999 Kargil War, which claimed the lives of 500+ Indian soldiers, outraged several netizens. Several Indians descended on his timeline minutes after his tweet, reminding Swamy of Pervez Musharraf’s violent past and his role in escalating Pakistan’s terror operations and antagonism toward India.
U Nagaraja Rau, a Twitter user, expressed disbelief at Swamy’s eulogising remark, despite the fact that the entire world is aware how Musharraf was responsible for terror strikes on Indian soil and the deaths of hundreds of Indians. He asked Subramanian Swamy when did he have this inclination for peace, after or before the Kargil war.
“Was always anxious to find peace”
— U Nagaraja Rau (@UNagarajaRau) February 6, 2023
Since when did he have this inclination, Swami Sir ? After or Before the Kargil war ?
As if extolling Pakistan’s tyrant wasn’t enough, Swamy shockingly went on to defend Musharraf’s atrocities in his reply to U Nagaraja Rau, claiming that he was only doing his duty during the Kargil conflict.
In Kargil War he was Commander In Chief of the Army.
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) February 6, 2023
Swamy’s proclamation of Musharraf as a ‘messiah of peace’ infuriated many other Twitter users, who chastised Swamy for glorifying the former Pakistani military dictator.
He has blood of Our army guys ! Pls don’t eulogies him !
— mamta Nigam !!! (@mamtan14) February 6, 2023
Finding peace through Kargil. What analysis
— Sarikasm (@Maango_maan) February 6, 2023
“You’ve lost a lot indeed, deal with it while we rededicate ourselves in memory of those who laid their lives down in service to our nation. He will meet 73 of his own whom he denied a burial. Since both friends have souls, keep the connection going, spare us,” @NirmalBakshay sarcastically chided Subramanian Swamy for glorifying Pervez Musharraf, who orchestrated a war in which India lost hundreds of soldiers.
Another user opined that Swamy does such things only to remain in the limelight.
When one needs to make such tweets to stay in the limelight 😏🙃
— Dr Charuhas (@charuhasmujumd1) February 6, 2023
H Singh, a Twitter user, expressed gratitude to Swamy for justifying his decision to unfollow him. “I had some residual doubts when I unfollowed you … now I am much clear . Thanks”, tweeted H Singh.
I had some residual doubts when I unfollowed you … now I am much clear . Thanks .
— H singh (@clrkit4) February 6, 2023
Subramanian Swamy is just one of many Indian ‘liberals’ who mourned and praised the former Pakistani military dictator after his death. Leading the pack of liberals was Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who said Musharraf was smart and clear in his strategic thinking. Others who ignored Pervez Musharraf’s bloody background and heaped admiration on him included Vikrant Gupta, the Managing Editor of Sports Tak, Sudheendra Kulkarni, who downplayed Chinese aggressiveness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and CNN-News18 sports writer Saikat Ghosh.
In 1984, in response to the Pakistan Army’s intrusions into Kargil, India launched ‘Operation Meghdoot’ and took control of Siachen and its tributary glaciers. Musharraf, who was heading those failed Siachen missions for Pakistan, vowed to occupy Kargil in response, and that personal ambition of Musharraf was the main trigger for Pakistan’s misadventure in Kargil in 1999.
Musharraf was the leading strategist behind the Kargil war, he ordered the infiltration of Indian territory as the Pakistani Army’s General. In fact, when the then-PM Nawaz Sharif ordered the retreat of Pakistan forces due to international pressure, everyone knew that a coup has become inevitable since General Musharraf disagreed with Sharif.
The personal ambition and ego of Musharraf led to the deaths of thousands, mostly Pakistanis, during the Kargil war but instead of reflecting on that, the megalomaniac engineered a coup to seize power for himself.
