The BJP on Friday lashed out at Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Revanth Reddy, and Jairam Ramesh, accusing them of belittling the Indian armed forces and playing into Pakistan’s narrative by raising questions over the Rafale fighter jets and the effectiveness of recent anti-terror operations. The criticism came in response to remarks suggesting Indian Rafales were downed by Pakistan, a claim made without evidence by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and echoed in tone by Rahul Gandhi’s attacks on the government’s communication around the strikes.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra condemned the Congress leaders’ comments, saying they focused more on questioning Indian capabilities than condemning Pakistan’s role in harboring terrorism. “Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Revanth Reddy are asking how many Rafales were shot down. These are ‘Pakistan ke Babbar’, who act like ‘Gabbar’ for Hindustan,” said Patra, accusing them of demoralizing the armed forces.
Revanth Reddy’s Rafale Allegations Draw Flak
Speaking at an event in Telangana, Revanth Reddy criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal, asking why the jets “got destroyed” in Pakistani attacks. Without offering evidence, he implied that the aircraft were shot down during the recent cross-border tensions and demanded transparency on the issue. “You gave thousands of crores worth of contracts to close associates. But what happened to the Rafales? Why did they get destroyed?” he asked.
The BJP called these remarks misleading and damaging, especially when national security is involved. Patra responded that instead of asking how many Indian planes were lost, Congress leaders should have questioned how many Pakistani terror camps were dismantled.
Rahul, Jairam Under Fire for Remarks on Airstrikes and MPs
Rahul Gandhi also raised concerns after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar admitted that India had informed Pakistan before conducting strikes on terror bases. “How many aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew?” Rahul posted on social media, calling the move a “crime.”
Further, the BJP slammed Jairam Ramesh for equating MPs with terrorists while commenting on the recent multi-party delegation’s visit to conflict zones. “Your comparison of terrorists to MPs is unacceptable. Our MPs are defending India’s position, not holidaying,” Patra said, accusing the Congress of consistently undermining the country’s efforts on global platforms.
