New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday doubled down his attack on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, questioning the number of Indian aircraft lost during Operation Sindoor.
He reiterated that it was a “crime” to inform Pakistan “at the start of our attack”.
“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,” he wrote on X, retweeting his May 17 post.
Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime.
EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it.
1. Who authorised it?
2. How many aircraft did our airforce lose as a result? pic.twitter.com/KmawLLf4yW— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 17, 2025
Following Rahul Gandhi’s tweet, Congress leader Pawan Khera held a press conference and called BJP “Sindoor ka saudagar”. “After the statement of EAM Dr S Jaishankar, we are being ridiculed in Pakistan and the whole world. That is why Rahul Gandhi is repeatedly saying that you should answer what damage the country suffered from this forewarning you gave to Pakistan? It is very important for us to know how many planes of the country fell, what damage the country suffered and how many terrorists escaped?…” he said.
BJP REACTS
The BJP sharply rebuked Rahul Gandhi for his comments, with spokesperson Tuhin Sinha telling NDTV that Gandhi is consistently distorting the minister’s statements. “Rahul Gandhi seems to be operating at the behest of certain powers. Why is he pinning down the External Affairs Minister at a time when he is abroad? Why is he doing this at a time when our diplomatic missions are going abroad? This reeks of notoriety,” he was quoted as saying.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla shared video of a news bulletin from Geo News to show how
Pakistan media is using Rahul’s tweet to push their “we shot down Indian jets” propaganda.
“Rahul Gandhi’s bizarre lies making it to Pakistani media. Both speak the same language.. Is it a mere coincidence?” Poonawalla asked on X.
Rahul Gandhi’s bizarre lies making it to Pakistani media
Both speak the same language..
Is it a mere co incidence ?? pic.twitter.com/wc9WKG2IQN
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) May 19, 2025
FACTCHECKED EARLIER
On May 17, Rahul had hit out at the government for allegedly “informing” Pakistan about targeting its terror infrastructure.
Following which, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), through its XP Division, put out a statement to clarify the timeline of the Union Minister’s remarks and called it “utter misrepresentation” of facts.
“EAM Dr S Jaishankar had stated that we had warned Pakistan at the start, which is clearly the early phase after Operation Sindoor’s commencement. This is being falsely represented as being before the commencement. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out,” XP Division, MEA, stated.
The Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check Unit also corrected Rahul Gandhi and said that the union minister “has not made any such statement” and is being “misquoted.”
The Centre also pointed to a statement by Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations, during the briefing on Operation Sindoor. “…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,” Lt General Ghai had said.