The BJP on Monday accused the Congress party and its allies of acting like a “fifth column” that is damaging the morale of India’s armed forces. This came after Ajay Rai, the Congress president in Uttar Pradesh, made fun of the government by showing a toy Rafale jet, in response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi compared opposition leaders to the Pakistani army. He said Pakistan attacks Indian soldiers by breaking the ceasefire at the border, while opposition leaders attack them with their words inside the country.
Ajay Rai had shown a toy version of the Rafale fighter jet with lemon and chillies tied to it – a practice believed to keep away bad luck. He asked, “They remain parked with lemon and chillies tied to them. When will they be put to use.”
Trivedi said Rai’s actions mocked Hindu religious traditions. He claimed that the Congress party is so negative that even the aircraft need protection from their “evil eyes.” He explained that religious beliefs are respected in the military, where spiritual leaders are employed, and regiments chant slogans like “Bolo Bajrangbali ki jai” and “Raja Ram Chandra ki jai.”
He added that Rai’s remarks are just one of many comments made by opposition leaders which hurt the morale of the armed forces. He also pointed out that while Pakistani leaders are rarely seen in Indian media attacking their own army, Indian opposition leaders are often quoted in Pakistan when they criticise the Indian military or government.
{{/usCountry}}He added that Rai’s remarks are just one of many comments made by opposition leaders which hurt the morale of the armed forces. He also pointed out that while Pakistani leaders are rarely seen in Indian media attacking their own army, Indian opposition leaders are often quoted in Pakistan when they criticise the Indian military or government.
{{/usCountry}}Trivedi said India’s army is far stronger than Pakistan’s, and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown strong leadership. But, he added, Pakistan is better at making sure its leaders speak in one voice, unlike India’s opposition.
He criticised Congress for saying they support the government’s response to the Pahalgam attack, calling it fake. He said it’s like how Pakistan claims to want peace while secretly supporting terrorism. He alleged, the ugly face of the Congress has been unmasked. He said, "The Congress and the INDI Alliance have become like a fifth column."
He repeated Modi’s promise that those behind the Pahalgam attack “will be pursued till the ends of the earth” and punished “beyond their imagination.”
Trivedi also said that while Congress governments in the past failed in diplomacy, the Modi government is strong both diplomatically and militarily. He gave an example from 2008, when former Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said the Air Force was ready to strike after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, but the Congress-led UPA government decided not to.
He said the UPA, under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, kept talking with Pakistan even though it supported terrorism. In contrast, the Modi government has refused to hold formal talks with Pakistan.
He also reminded people that when former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif insulted Manmohan Singh by calling him a “dehati aurat” (village woman), Modi, then Gujarat CM, defended Singh. He further noted that in the 1990s, BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke firmly at the UN in support of the Congress government’s stand against Pakistan-backed terrorism.