Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kiren Rijiju has publicly criticised Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, for what he describes as 'lowering his stature' and 'damaging India's high reputation'. The accusation comes in response to comments made by Gandhi in Parliament regarding the Indian Air Force's (IAF) role in Operation Sindoor.
During a parliamentary discussion on Operation Sindoor, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the government had 'tied the hands' of the Indian Air Force by instructing them not to attack Pakistan's air defence systems. This assertion was directly refuted by the IAF Chief, Amar Preet Singh, who stated on Saturday that the government had placed no restrictions on the armed forces during the operation. According to Singh, the IAF was given 'full freedom' to plan and execute attacks.
Kiren Rijiju took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a video clip that juxtaposed Gandhi’s remarks in Parliament with the IAF Chief's rebuttal. In his post, Rijiju urged Gandhi to 'maintain the decorum of India's Parliament,' questioning why he 'keep[s] lying all the time.' Rijiju further commented on Gandhi’s conduct as an opposition leader, stating, "I have witnessed many Leaders of Opposition who had maintained Parliamentary standards. You have not only lowered your stature but also damaged India's high reputation!"
What Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha?
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, asserted during the monsoon session of the Parliament during the discussion of Operation Sindoor that the Air Force was instructed not to attack Pakistan's air defence systems, effectively putting their 'hands tied.'
“You went into Pakistan, you attacked Pakistan, and you told our pilots do not attack their air defence systems, meaning you told our pilots go and attack and face the air defence systems of Pakistan. Meaning, you tied their hands behind their backs," Gandhi is heard saying in the video shared by Rijiju.
Also Read: IAF chief confirms 5 Pakistani fighter jets downed in Op Sindoor
What IAF chief said?
IAF chief Amar Preet Singh stated that the government did not impose any limitations on them during the operation while speaking at the 16th Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture in Bengaluru on August 9.
The IAF chief cited "political will" as one of the factors that contributed to Operation Sindoor's success.
“There was very clear political will, very clear directions were given to us and there were no kind of restrictions which were put on us,” he said.
Without naming anyone, Singh said, “Many people have spoken somewhere; unfortunately, everyoneis speaking about it…there were talks about was there any restrictions and whether you were kept constrained. If there were any constraints, they were self-made.”
“We, the forces, decided what will be our rules of engagement. We, the forces, decided what will be the escalation ladder that we want to ride on. We decided how we want to control the escalation. So I want to make it very clear, there were no, I repeat, no restrictions on us. Full freedom was given to us to plan and execute."
Also Read: Rajnath said ‘enough is enough’; forces got free hand: Army Chief
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