Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of committing a “crime” by allegedly informing Pakistan in advance about India’s planned strikes on terror infrastructure under Operation Sindoor.
Rahul Gandhi Targets Jaishankar Over Op Sindoor Remarks
Gandhi directly criticised External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar for what he claimed was a public admission of informing Pakistan. The Congress MP from Rae Bareli questioned the rationale behind such a move and demanded accountability.
“Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that the GOI did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result?” Gandhi posted on X.
Video Clip Sparks Political Controversy
Alongside his post, Gandhi shared an undated video clip in which EAM Jaishankar appears to state that India had communicated with Pakistan at the beginning of the operation, clarifying the targets were terrorist infrastructure and not military facilities.
“At the start of the operation, we had sent a message to Pakistan, saying, ‘We are striking at terrorist infrastructure and we are not striking at the military. So the military has the option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take that good advice,” Jaishankar says in the video.
Fact-Checking Claims: PIB Calls Statement Misrepresented
In response to the video circulating online, the Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check Unit refuted the claims, stating that Jaishankar had not said India informed Pakistan in advance of Operation Sindoor. According to the PIB, the minister’s words were being misquoted and misrepresented.
Background on Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor was launched by India following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The offensive targeted terror camps located in Pakistan’s Punjab province and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It marked a significant escalation in India’s counter-terror operations.