BJP takes ‘nishan-e-Pakistan’ jibe at Rahul Gandhi; Congress hits back | India News

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, and accused him of undermining nation’s military operation and echoing Pakistan‘s narrative in his recent comments about Operation Sindoor.BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya posted an image comparing Gandhi with Pakistan’s military leadership.“It is not surprising that Rahul Gandhi is speaking the language of Pakistan and its benefactors. He hasn’t congratulated the Prime Minister on the flawless Operation Sindoor, which unmistakably showcases India’s dominance. Instead, he repeatedly asks how many jets we lost—a question that has already been addressed in the DGMO briefings,” Malviya said in a post on X.“Curiously, he hasn’t once inquired about how many Pakistani jets were shot down during the conflict, or how many were destroyed while parked in their hangars when Indian forces pounded Pakistani airbases. What’s next for Rahul Gandhi? The Nishan-e-Pakistan?” he added.The controversy intensified after Rahul Gandhi questioned external affairs minister S. Jaishankar‘s remarks on Operation Sindoor, which was conducted in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Rahul Gandhi suggested that advance warning to Pakistan might have compromised the operation’s effectiveness, calling it “not just a lapse, but a crime.”“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?” Gandhi posted on Monday, reiterating allegations that the government’s forewarning allowed Pakistan to prepare. “This wasn’t a lapse. It was a crime. And the nation deserves the truth,” he added.Congress leader Pawan Khera countered Malviya’s criticism by referencing historical instances of BJP leaders’ interactions with Pakistan, including mentions of former Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s Nishan-e-Pakistan award and other diplomatic engagements.“We want to ask the political leadership of this country that you informed Pakistan beforehand, is this the reason why Azhar Masood and Hafiz Saeed could escape?…As far as Nishaan-e-Pakistan is concerned, their leader, Morarji Desai, was the only Indian politician who was awarded it,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said.“Some more people deserve Nishan-e-Pakistan, like Lal Krishna Advani and the person who went to eat biryani with Nawaz Sharif without being invited. We think he will get Nisha-e-Pakistan. There is another person who deserves Nisha-e-Pakistan- the one who said ‘at the start of the action’. These are the words of EAM Dr S Jaishankar, who informed Pakistan that we are taking action only on terrorist hideouts. He has very close relations with America.So now let’s see what award he gets from which country,” he added.Meanwhile, the ministry of external affairs had firmly rejected Gandhi’s allegations about prior notification to Pakistan. The MEA clarified that communication with Pakistan occurred only after Operation Sindoor was underway, dismissing claims of advance warning as “misrepresentation of facts.”