Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday, May 23, 2025, sharply criticized the BJP-led NDA government, asserting that India’s foreign policy has “collapsed.” In a post on X, Gandhi posed three questions to the central government regarding recent events.
He questioned why India has been “hyphenated with Pakistan,” why no country supported India in condemning Pakistan, and who requested President Donald Trump to “mediate” between India and Pakistan. Gandhi reiterated his view on the collapse of India’s foreign policy by reposting a video of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s interview with a media outlet.
Earlier, Gandhi had also accused Jaishankar of remaining silent on the number of Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft lost during “Operation Sindoor,” demanding that the nation “deserves the truth.” He specifically asked, “How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew? This wasn’t a lapse. It was a crime.”
The BJP responded sharply to Gandhi’s remarks, with party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accusing him of undermining the morale of the armed forces. Bhatia referenced Air Marshal Bharti’s statement on May 11, which indicated that it was not prudent to disclose the number of IAF jets down in a combat scenario. Bhatia further suggested that Gandhi seemed to be “busy in conversations with Pakistan on how to weaken Indian and the morale of the forces,” citing a statement from Pakistani leader Mariam Nawaz regarding significant losses faced by Pakistan due to India’s actions on May 6, 7, and 9.
Bhatia stressed that such questions could be raised in an all-party meeting or an MEA briefing, but dismissed Gandhi’s public statements as more than just “childlike,” implying they could harm the nation. He questioned Gandhi’s motives, asking why he had started “hating 140 crore Indians while hating PM Modi.”
Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7 in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. The operation involved Indian Armed Forces targeting terror infrastructure deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, reportedly eliminating over 100 terrorists linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Following these strikes, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling and attempted drone attacks. India responded with coordinated airstrikes that reportedly damaged key military infrastructure across 11 Pakistani airbases. Both sides announced an understanding on the cessation of hostilities on May 10.
