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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday launched a scathing attack on Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of endangering national security and diminishing the valour of the Indian Armed Forces through his remarks on the ongoing Operation Sindoor. Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, “Rahul Gandhi, you decide which side you are on. You have to decide whether you are India’s Leader of Opposition or Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Pakistan.”

Bhatia alleged that Rahul’s comments about the India-Pakistan conflict were being exploited by Islamabad to defame India. “Stop undermining the valour and commitment of our brave armed forces, stop asking questions which shouldn’t be asked. They jeopardise national security,” Bhatia urged, as per news agency PTI.

He further claimed, “It has been the core character of Rahul Gandhi to intentionally ask such questions, taking forward the agenda of nations which are inimical to our country.”

Bhatia criticised Rahul’s questions about Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft losses during Operation Sindoor, saying such statements were careless and demoralising. “When Operation Sindoor is going on, Rahul Gandhi is giving careless statements. He is asking how many IAF jets are down,” said Bhatia, referencing a 11 May briefing where Air Marshal Bharti stated, “We are in a combat scenario, it is not prudent for us to answer that question.”

He also cited a statement by Pakistani leader Mariam Nawaz, who reportedly acknowledged that Pakistan had suffered significant losses due to India’s actions on the nights of 6-7 May and on 9 May. Bhatia remarked, “At such a time, what is LoP and ‘Nishan-e-Pakistan’ Rahul Gandhi saying?”

Rahul had earlier posted on social media platform X, accusing External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar of withholding critical information about IAF losses. “EAM Jaishankar’s silence isn’t just telling – it’s damning. So I’ll ask again: How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew? This wasn’t a lapse. It was a crime. And the nation deserves the truth,” Rahul wrote.

Rahul also shared a video from 17 May where Jaishankar said: “At the start of the operation we have sent a message to Pakistan saying we are striking at infrastructure and we are not striking at the military, so military has the option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take good advice.” Reacting to the video, Rahul posted, “Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that the Government of India did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result?”

In response to BJP’s criticism, Congress leader Danish Ali told PTI, “Narendra Modi and the BJP have no answers. Donald Trump repeatedly claims he was the one who initiated the ceasefire. Modi ji tweets daily, gives speeches—yet remains silent on this… Because of Modi ji’s personal relationships, India is being made to suffer. He owes the country an answer. But when Rahul Gandhi raises these questions, the BJP attacks him instead.”

As BJP MP Nishikant Dubey Cites 1991 Pact, Congress Leader Accuses Him Of Spreading ‘False Narratives’

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, in a post on X, countered Rahul’s allegations, stating, “Rahul Gandhi, this is an agreement from the time your party-supported government was in power in 1991. It was decided that information about any attack or troop movement would be shared between India and Pakistan. Is this agreement an act of treason? Congress’s hand is with the Pakistani vote bank, and your objectionable comments on the Foreign Minister are inappropriate.”

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury responded, saying Dubey’s remarks validated Rahul’s questions. “When Rahul Gandhi raised those questions a few days ago, the EAM discarded them, but now the leaders of their party reject EAM Jaishankar’s claims… We wanted to have these discussions in the Parliament… But why is a Parliament session not called?” he told ANI.

Danish Ali accused Nishikant Dubey of spreading false narratives as he said, “First of all, the period in question was not during a Congress-led government. Chandrashekhar Ji was the Prime Minister at the time, and Congress had already withdrawn its support. People like Nishikant Dubey and the BJP are known for spreading false narratives. Chandrashekhar Ji is no longer with us, but his son, Neeraj Shekhar, is now a BJP member—perhaps he can provide some context. That agreement was intended to promote peace, but once we were attacked and our people were killed by terrorists from Pakistan, it lost all meaning. Nishikant Dubey should understand this basic fact.”

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh also criticised Rahul’s remarks, calling them “shocking, sad and uninformative.” He said, “This is the time when we all should stand together… Pakistan’s DGMO called our DGMO for a ceasefire. Pakistan’s DGMO surrendered and we are not ready to listen to our army… Former NSA Shivshankar Menon’s book has written that after such a big attack in Mumbai in 2008, 166 people were killed, but you remained silent. Whose government was in power at that time?”