Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has sharply criticized the Narendra Modi-led government over revelations surrounding Operation Sindoor, accusing it of committing a “crime” by allegedly informing Pakistan in advance of India’s targeted strikes on terror infrastructure.
Taking to social media on Saturday, Gandhi questioned who had authorised the communication and demanded to know how many Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft were lost as a result.
“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?” Rahul Gandhi posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The Congress leader also shared a video clip in which External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is heard stating that India had conveyed to Pakistan that its actions were targeted solely at terror camps, not the Pakistani military.
“At the start of the operation, we had sent a message to Pakistan saying, ‘We are striking at terrorist infrastructure and not the military…’,” Jaishankar can be heard saying.
This statement prompted Gandhi to escalate his accusations, claiming such a move compromised national security.
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) later issued a statement debunking the interpretation being circulated. The PIB clarified that India did not inform Pakistan in advance about the operation, and that Jaishankar’s remarks were taken out of context. The government maintains that the message was intended to avoid civilian and military escalation—not to alert Pakistan ahead of time.
The incident has triggered a fierce political debate, with the BJP and Congress trading accusations amid heightened tensions with Pakistan following Operation Sindoor. Gandhi’s post has further polarised the discourse, with the government defending its strategic choices and accusing the opposition of politicising national security.
As Prime Minister Modi is set to address the nation at 8 PM tonight, speculation is high that he may respond to the controversy or clarify the government’s position further.
