‘Opposing Modi should not lead to opposing country’: Shivraj Singh Chauhan slams Rahul Gandhi for seeking govt clarification on Indian jets
NEW DELHI: As Rahul Gandhi asked the government to clarify how many Indian jets were shot down by Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan advised the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha that “opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not lead to opposing the country.” While speaking to reporters, Chauhan said that requested Congress to prioritise the country first before the party when it comes to national issues. “It is unfortunate that at a time when the entire nation stands united against Pakistan, against terrorism, and against the enemies of the country, the leaders of the responsible parties are not doing the same. My only request is that when it comes to national issues, we should prioritise the country first, the nation first, and the party later,” Chauhan said. “Opposing Modi should not lead to opposing the country, as this will not elevate your stature, nor is it a demonstration of patriotism in any way,” he added. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan also attacked Rahul and accused him of sounding like “propaganda in chief of Pakistan.” “Rahul Gandhi has been doubting the nation, the government, and also distrusting the Indian armed forces. Now, he is sounding like the propaganda in chief of Pakistan. Let alone the Leader of Opposition, our nation deserves a more responsible and patriotic parliamentarian than Rahul Gandhi,” Kesavan said “Pakistan is now parading Rahul Gandhi as a poster boy for Pakistan, and they are peddling Rahul Gandhi’s tweets to spin and fabricate an inimical narrative to India and our Indian armed forces. This is because of Rahul Gandhi’s tweets… The Indian armed forces, very clearly in their press briefing on May 11th, have categorically, beyond doubt, established all the facts, but Rahul Gandhi does not trust them. The Indian armed forces. He has no faith in what the Indian armed forces… He continues to rake up nonexistent issues. This shows that the nation never comes first for Rahul Gandhi or the Congress Party… Rahul Gandhi and the Congress Party have mortgaged our national interest in favour of cheap political profit and expediency,” he added. Earlier, Rahul had again questioned external affairs minister S Jaishankar over his remarks on Operation Sindoor, asking how many Indian aircraft were lost during the operation. “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 X while resharing an earlier post of himself. He added, “This wasn’t a lapse. It was a crime. And the nation deserves the truth.” On May 17, Rahul had shared an undated video of Jaishankar where the minister is heard saying that India had warned Pakistan before launching strikes on terror infrastructure. “Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it.” He also asked, “Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result?” Gandhi wrote. The ministry of external affairs refuted Rahul’s claim, calling it a “misrepresentation of facts.” The MEA said the government had warned Pakistan in the “early phase after Operation Sindoor’s commencement” and not before it began. It clarified that Jaishankar had said, “We had warned Pakistan at the start, which is clearly the early phase after Op Sindoor’s commencement.” “This is being falsely represented as being before the commencement. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out,” the ministry added. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, targeting terror bases in Pakistan in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
EAM’s silence on planes India ‘lost’ damning: Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi Monday launched a fresh attack on EAM S Jaishankar, saying his silence on number of aircraft India “lost” after Pakistan was “informed” about the military action under ‘Operation Sindoor’ is “damning”. The Congress neta made the fresh remarks even though the MEA had Saturday refuted his charge that Jaishankar had “informed” Pakistan about targeting of terror infrastructure as part of the operation. “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,” Rahul said on X. At presser, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, “If we have forewarned Pakistan, then most of the terrorists must have escaped. Why did we allow that? The PM and the minister must open their mouths and come out clean,” he said. Rahul also reposted on X his Saturday post that has an undated clip of Jaishankar and the Congress neta saying, “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 had asked. In a statement, MEA had said the minister 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,” it had said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul Gandhi speaking language of Pakistan, daftness is sinister: BJP
BJP Monday accused Rahul Gandhi of speaking the “language of Pakistan” and questioned if his party was serious about supporting the nation. This came after Rahul attacked EAM S Jaishankar for his silence on number of fighter jets India “lost” after Pakistan was “informed” about military action under ‘Op Sindoor,’ calling it “damning.” “Rahul Gandhi’s daftness is sinister. He is speaking the language of Pakistan” and should stop “distorting facts,” BJP IT head Amit Malviya said on X. “For India’s benefit and to expose the LoP’s intent, I repost DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai’s statement dated 11.05.2025 – ‘…we tried to communicate our need to strike terror to my counterpart right after ‘Operation Sindoor,’ but the request was brusquely turned down with a warning of severe response. We were prepared…’,” Malviya said. He added Lt Gen Ghai’s remarks align with the EAM’s – India warned Pakistan early during ‘Op Sindoor.’ “This is being misrepresented as if warning came before the operation began,” he said. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Didn’t ask Congress for names for foreign outreach: Govt
NEW DELHI: The govt has dismissed Congress’s charge that it asked the opposition party to nominate four MPs for all-party delegations going abroad for anti-terror outreach, only to reject three of them.Leader of opposition in LS Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge were informed about the delegations only as a matter of courtesy, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said in his first formal response to Congress’s charge. In an exclusive conversation with TOI, Rijiju also said asking parties to recommend their nominees had never been the practice. “We let them know as a matter of sheer courtesy,” he said. Didn’t go by Congress’s internal dynamics: Rijiju Seven delegations of MPs are headed to different parts of the world to sensitise global opinion on Pakistan’s continuing use of terrorism. Four Congress MPs are part of the teams; Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor heads one of the delegations. Asked about Congress’s criticism of the choices from its ranks, Rijiju maintained that the govt went by who would be more suitable for the delegations’ mission. “We are surprised by the opposition to the nomination of their members like Shashi Tharoor and Manish Tewari. The two have been essential voices from their side in any debate on foreign policy and matters related to national security. And it is not even a year since they recommended Tharoor to head the standing committee on external affairs,” the minister said. Responding to the suggestion implied in Congress’s criticism that Tharoor and Tewari were picked to taunt the party leadership, Rijiju said, “This is an insinuation. We did not go by a party’s internal dynamics and the insecurity and jealousies that come with that. We also chose Salman Khurshid and Amar Singh, their MP from Punjab. What do you have to say about those?” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh had criticised the govt for settling on the names of Tharoor and Tewari at the expense of Rahul Gandhi’s recommendations. “This proves the complete insincerity of the Modi govt and shows the cheap political games it always played on national issues,” he had said. Congress believes Tharoor, formerly with the United Nations and also minister of state for external affairs, was chosen because he took a different line from the party on Operation Sindoor. His statement last week that he was proud of the operation came just when Congress had announced its plan to sharpen the charge that US President Donald Trump had brokered the ceasefire with Pakistan. When told that his views were at odds with Congress’s official line, the Thiruvananthapuram MP had said he was “speaking as a proud Indian”. Few were surprised when Rahul left him off the list that included Gaurav Gogoi, Anand Sharma, Raja Warring and Syed Naseer Hussain. The govt only accepted Sharma, former commerce minister. BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya had defended the decision saying that three supporters of Hussain were arrested for shouting “Pakistan Zindabad” to celebrate his election to Rajya Sabha. Malviya had also questioned Congress’s choice of Gogoi, saying the Congress deputy leader in LS had spent 15 days in Pakistan, while his wife was involved with an NGO focused on Pakistan. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Experts React To Rahul Gandhi’s Claim Of Jaishankar Admitting India ‘Informed’ Pak Before Op Sindoor
Defence experts have reacted strongly to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent post questioning the government on Operation Sindoor. Gandhi had criticized External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks that India informed Pakistan before targeting terrorist infrastructure, calling it a ‘crime.’ The MEA and PIB both had debunked Gandhi’s claims, labeling his statement a ‘misrepresentation of facts’ and accusing him of misquoting Jaishankar. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Why does Rahul Gandhi hate those who speak for India?’ BJP slams Congress for excluding Shashi Tharoor from all-party delegation list
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday fired salvos at Congress after Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor’s name was missing from the list of MPs it handed out to the government for the all-party delegation set to be sent abroad to present India’s stance on the Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari latched on to the issue to target Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of hating his own partymen who speak for India. “So Jairam Ramesh opposes his own Congressmen Shashi Tharoor for being chosen to lead one of the Parliamentary delegation!” Bhandari wrote on X. — pradip103 (@pradip103) “Why does Rahul Gandhi hate every individual who speaks for India, even in his own party?” he added. This comes moments after the government announced the names of seven MPs including Shashi Tharoor, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Sanjay Kumar Jha, and Supriya Sule among others. Following Centre’s announcement, Jairam Ramesh revealed that Rahul Gandhi proposed the names of Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, Raja Brar, and Anand Sharma from the party, which seemed to have not been taken into consideration. “Yesterday morning, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju spoke with the Congress President and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The INC was asked to submit names of 4 MPs for the delegations to be sent abroad to explain India’s stance on terrorism from Pakistan,” Jairam said. — Jairam_Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) “By noon yesterday, May 16th, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha wrote to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs giving the following names on behalf of the INC: Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain, Raja Brar,” he added. BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya also attacked Congress for the names it proposed and said that grand-old-party’s “choices to represent India at diplomatic meetings are not just intriguing — they are deeply questionable.” “The Congress party’s choices to represent India at diplomatic meetings are not just intriguing — they are deeply questionable. Take, for instance, the inclusion of Syed Naseer Hussain in a delegation representing India. It is truly shocking. Let’s not forget — it was his supporter who raised “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans inside the Vidhana Soudha while celebrating his Rajya Sabha victory. Bengaluru police arrested three individuals in connection with the incident, based on a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, circumstantial evidence, and witness testimonies,” Malviya said. — amitmalviya (@amitmalviya) “Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Gogoi of spending 15 days in Pakistan, stating that his arrival and departure were officially recorded at the Atari border. Sarma further claimed that Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Colebourn, accompanied him for the first seven days before returning to India, while Gogoi remained in Islamabad. Apparently, upon his return, Gogoi took around 90 youths to the Pakistan Embassy — many reportedly unaware of where they were being taken,” he added. ‘What happened is dishonest’ Meanwhile, Jairam accused the Centre of being dishonest after it did not agree to the named forwarded by the party. “We were asked for names. We expected that the names we had given would be included. We hoped that the names given by the party would be included. But when we saw the press release of PIB, we were surprised. I cannot say what will happen now,” Jairam said. “Asking four names, giving four names, and announcing another name is dishonest on the government’s part. It is possible that’ Mr Rijiju had talked to Rahul ji and Kharge even after the government had made up their mind, but I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. But what happened is dishonest. We are not going to change these four names,” he added. The delegations aim to raise global awareness about Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism and to explain the rationale behind India’s precision strikes under Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack. This is the first time that the Centre will depute MPs from multiple parties to present India’s stance on Kashmir and cross-border terrorism. An MEA official will accompany each group to assist in briefings and presentations. Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, was a direct military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Indian strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir reportedly eliminated over 100 terrorists. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
MEA refutes Rahul Gandhi claim EAM ‘informed’ Pakistan about strikes
NEW DELHI: MEA has strongly refuted Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that external affairs minister S Jaishankar had “informed” Pakistan about targeting its terror infrastructure as part of Operation Sindoor, calling the Congress neta’s charge “utter misrepresentation of facts”. “We had warned Pakistan at the start — which was clearly during the early phase after Operation Sindoor’s commencement. This is being falsely represented as having occurred before the operation began. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out,” the MEA spokesperson said in reference to Indian Army’s communication to their Pakistani counterparts after the successful strikes on terror hubs deep inside Pakistan. Press Information Bureau’s Fact Check Unit too asserted that the EAM’s remarks were being misrepresented. It said the video circulating on social media had been selectively edited to mislead viewers. Rahul, on X, accused the Modi govt of compromising national security by allegedly notifying Pakistan ahead of Operation Sindoor. Sharing a video of Jaishankar, he 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?” The video features Jaishankar stating, “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.” Rahul’s criticism sparked swift rebuttal from the govt. The PIB Fact Check Unit dismissed the interpretation of the minister’s words as “false and fabricated”. It posted on X: “Social media posts quoting EAM @DrSJaishankar are implying that India gave advance information to Pakistan about #OperationSindoor. This is false and fabricated.” The agency further urged users to avoid sharing unverified content during sensitive national security operations. PIB officials clarified that the EAM’s remarks were part of a tactical communication issued during the operation, aimed at emphasising that the Indian Army had targeted only terror infrastructure and deliberately spared Pakistani military assets, which would remain unharmed if Pakistan army chose not to escalate. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Cong: People ready to oust BJP in 2027 polls
Lucknow: National general secretary and Uttar Pradesh in-charge of the Congress Avinash Pande on Saturday said that the 2027 state assembly election is crucial for the party and the state as the people are ready to oust the BJP from power. “We will complete organisational restructuring within the next 100 days. It is also important to understand the importance of building a five-tier organisation (district, block, division, justice panchayat, booth) and spreading the message of Congress’s glorious legacy to the last person, aiming for the party’s return to power,” Pande said, addressing a party workshop at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday. The workshop began with the resolve to form a govt in the state in 2027. Senior functionaries suggested the establishment of a war room in each district and strengthening of the organisation at the booth level. They also expressed gratitude to leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi for his initiative in furthering the demand for caste census. The event began with a two-minute silence to pay tribute to soldiers martyred in the conflict with Pakistan. A video message by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, outlining a new direction for organisational creation, was played which was followed by a short film on the works done by the Congress and its govts. “There is a need to prepare organisations in frontal departments and cells and establish coordination among them. The goal of this organisational creation is to connect with the people, struggle for the people, and offer alternatives to the people,” Pande said. He said that division committees and justice panchayat committees should make organisation more dynamic, along with appointing BLA-1 and BLA-2 to work on voter list. UP Congress president Ajay Rai said that Rahul Gandhi was “fighting a significant battle for national interest, despite the BJP’s continuous conspiracies to stop him”. Referring to organisational strengthening efforts by Priyanka Gandhi in 2022, Rai said, “Those efforts sowed the seeds for results in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.” UP Congress legislative party leader Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ said that Rahul Gandhi embarked on a path of struggle with a strong resolve, and the party would write a new chapter in 2027. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Shashi Tharoor is looking for berth in BJP’s sleeping cells inside Congress’: CPI Kerala slams Lok Sabha MP
‘Shashi Tharoor is looking for berth in BJP’s sleeping cells inside Congress’: CPI Kerala slams Lok Sabha MP’Shashi Tharoor is looking for berth in BJP’s sleeping cells inside Congress’: CPI Kerala slams Lok Sabha MP NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (CPI) Kerala Secretary Binoy Viswam on Sunday took a swipe at Shashi Tharoor over him leading one of the delegations for briefing partner countries and said that Thiruvananthapuram MP is looking for a berth in the BJP’s sleeping cells inside Congress. In a post on X, the CPI Kerala secretary said, “@RahulGandhi Gandhi’s concern about BJP sleeping cells inside Congress is not so simple. It seems that @sashhitharoor is in search of his berth in that cell. @BJP4India knows how to make use of such elements. For them, even the fight against terrorism is a hunt for party gains!” The comments emerged after Tharoor accepted a government invitation to head a multi-party delegation overseas to present India’s position against Pakistan regarding terrorism, despite his name not being included in Congress’s official nominations. Tharoor defended his acceptance on Saturday, stating he perceived no political agenda. He explained that Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju formally requested his leadership of the delegation, considering his diplomatic experience. “I see no politics in it. According to me, politics become important when we have a nation. We all are Indians. When the nation is in crisis and the central government seeks the help of a citizen, what other answer would you give,” he explained to reporters. The Congress party had put forward different representatives: former Union minister Anand Sharma, deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain, and Lok Sabha MP Raja Brar, following the government’s request for four MPs for the delegations. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘They Would Have Abused Vyomika Singh Too if They Knew She was a Dalit’: Senior SP Leader’s Dig at BJP
Ram Gopal Yadav took a dig at the BJP after its minister Kunwar Vijay Shah referred to Colonel Sofiya Qureshi as “sister of terrorists.” New Delhi: On the backfoot after one of its ministers in Madhya Pradesh made communally-laced derogatory remarks about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on May 15 tried to shift the optics by rallying against senior Opposition leader Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party after he targeted the saffron party by referring to the caste backgrounds of the officers involved in the Operation Sindoor. Addressing a public meeting in Moradabad on Thursday, Yadav – a Rajya Sabha Member as well as the national general secretary of the SP – took a dig at the BJP after its minister Kunwar Vijay Shah referred to Qureshi as “sister of terrorists.” For his controversial remarks, Shah earned the censure of the MP High Court, which ordered police to register an FIR against him for further action. Yadav first criticised the BJP for launching nationwide Shaurya Tiranga Yatras to celebrate Operation Sindoor even as infiltration incidents continued in Jammu and Kashmir. “Terrorists are getting killed daily. They are coming from Pakistan. And they (BJP) are taking out a Tiranga Yatra. They are doing this only for elections,” said Yadav. ‘Had they knew the caste of other officers, they would have hurled abuses at them as well’ The senior SP leader then referred to the MP High Court ordering an FIR against Shah. He alleged that had the BJP known about the background of wing commander Vyomika Singh and air marshal A. K Bharti, its leaders could have insulted them too like they did with Colonel Qureshi, a Muslim. “They didn’t know what Vyomika Singh’s caste was nor did they know about air marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti. Otherwise, they would have hurled abuses at them too,” said Yadav. The SP leader then went on to talk about the caste background of Vyomika Singh and A.K Bharti. “Let me tell you – Vyomika Singh is a ‘Jatav Chamar’ from Haryana, and Air Marshal Bharti is a Yadav from Purnia. All three were from the PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak),” said Yadav. The PDA refers to the electoral strategy of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav – Ram Gopal Yadav is his uncle – of mobilising backward castes, Dalits and minorities, especially Muslims, against the BJP’s Hindutva agenda. Jatav is a Dalit community while Yadav is an Other Backward Classes (OBC) community. Yadav further said that while one (Qureshi) was abused because the BJP knew she was a Muslim, they did not say anything about Vyomika Singh assuming her to be an ‘upper caste’ Rajput. About A.K Bharti, they had no information whatsoever, added Yadav. The BJP, left red-faced by Shah’s remarks against Colonel Qureshi, launched an attack against Yadav accusing him of insulting the armed forces by viewing it through the lens of caste. “The uniform of the army is not seen through a ‘casteist lens’. Every soldier of the Indian army performs ‘national duty’ and is not a representative of any caste or religion,” said UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. BJP attacks SP over Yadav’s statement Targeting Yadav, Adityanath said that the SP leader’s “act of binding a brave daughter within the ambit of caste” was “not only a display of his party’s narrow-mindedness” but was also “a grave insult to the valour of the army and the country’s identity.” “This is the same mentality which dares to divide even patriotism in the name of appeasement and vote bank politics,” said Adityanath. BJP’s Uttar Pradesh president Bhupendra Chaudhary said Yadav’s “casteist statement” on wing commander Vyomika Singh, “the daughter of the country who broke the morale of terrorists and Pakistan, is not only reprehensible but is also a gross insult to the amazing courage, bravery of the army and the identity of Mother India.” “Ram Gopal Yadav has probably forgotten that by successfully completing Operation Sindoor, the daughter of the country has done the unique work of making Mother India’s pride and glory known to the entire world, which is amazing and admirable in itself,” said Chaudhary. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, herself a Jatav Dalit, criticised both Yadav and the BJP for their “shameful and condemnable” remarks. “The entire country is united and proud of the valour of Operation Sindoor of the Indian Army against the terrorists in Pakistan. In such a situation, it is extremely unfair to judge and divide the army on the basis of religion and caste,” she said. Courtesy : Omar Rashid, The Wire Note: This news is originally published on https://thewire.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.