Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified his criticism of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday, doubling down on his previous accusation that the Indian government had informed Pakistan “at the start” of Operation Sindoor. Gandhi described this as not merely a “lapse,” but a “crime,” prompting a strong rebuttal from the government, which dismissed his statement as a complete distortion of facts.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded sharply, accusing the Leader of the Opposition of deliberately misrepresenting the minister’s words. The party questioned the timing of the allegations and said Gandhi’s statements "reek of malafide intent."
The controversy erupted over a video clip of Dr Jaishankar speaking to the media, which Gandhi had shared on Saturday. In the clip, the minister 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 the military has an option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take good advice."
Commenting on the video, Gandhi wrote, “Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our Air Force lose as a result?”
He reiterated his allegations on Sunday by reposting the same video and questioning Dr Jaishankar’s silence. “The External Affairs Minister’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,” Gandhi said.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera supported Mr Gandhi’s remarks during a press briefing. He alleged that the External Affairs Minister’s decision to inform Pakistan “beforehand” raised serious questions about the nature of his “relationship” with the neighbouring country. “This is not diplomacy, this is espionage,” Khera claimed, adding, “Everyone heard what the External Affairs Minister said. A cover-up is being attempted.”
He further questioned whether the advance information enabled terrorists such as Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed to escape during India’s airstrikes on terror infrastructure. “This statement suggests that the terrorists may have fled. The Prime Minister and the External Affairs Minister must explain why this was done,” he said.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded by asserting that Dr Jaishankar’s comments were being misinterpreted. “EAM had stated that we had warned Pakistan at the start — which clearly refers to the early phase after Operation Sindoor began. This is being wrongly portrayed as a prior intimation, before the operation started. Such distortion of facts is being called out,” the MEA said in a statement.
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In support of the government’s stance, the military also offered clarification. Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), stated during an official briefing, “Even though we did attempt to reach out and communicate our compulsions to strike at the heart of terror to my counterpart in the immediate wake of Operation Sindoor, the request was brusquely turned down with an intimation that a severe response was inevitable and in the offing. We were, of course, prepared.”
The Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit also weighed in, rejecting the claims circulating on social media. The PIB said that Dr Jaishankar was being “misquoted.” “The social media post falsely implies that India informed Pakistan before the start of Operation Sindoor. The EAM is being misquoted and has not made such a statement. Remain vigilant and avoid falling for deceptive information,” said PIB FactCheck in a post.
BJP spokesperson Tuhin Sinha strongly criticised Gandhi’s comments. “Rahul Gandhi is repeatedly misrepresenting the minister’s remarks,” he said.
“It appears Rahul Gandhi is acting under the influence of certain powers. Why is he targeting the External Affairs Minister while he is on an official visit abroad? Why raise these allegations when our diplomatic missions are engaged internationally? This reeks of a deliberate attempt to malign,” he added.
Sinha cited the DGMO’s statement as definitive and accused Gandhi of having “juvenile and vile intent.” “Only someone with such intent can continue to question the External Affairs Minister even after clarifications have been made repeatedly. This raises questions about both his and the Congress party’s motives,” he said.
“The mask of solidarity with the government that Rahul Gandhi wore for three weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack has now come off. He is back to his divisive rhetoric.”
BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla also took aim at Gandhi by sharing a video from Pakistan’s Geo News. “Rahul Gandhi’s bizarre lies are now being amplified by Pakistani media. Both seem to speak the same language. Is this just a coincidence?” he asked.
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