Congress tries to take credit for BrahMos, but avoids mentioning how they kept delaying, and never took any action despite multiple terrorist attacks by Pakistan
On 12th May, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to X to give a carefully packaged history lesson on the BrahMos missile. He discussed the Indo-Russian collaboration, the initial agreements during then-Prime Minister I. K. Gujral’s tenure, and the subsequent milestones under then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, followed by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The idea of his post on X was to emphasise Congress’s role in the development and integration of the BrahMos missile in the Indian Armed Forces.
Notably, BrahMos is in discussion because of its possible use in Operation Sindoor, the military operation against terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir that expanded to the military assets of Pakistan, particularly on the night of May 10, when India pounded 10 Pakistani air bases with precision hits.
Though the Indian Government and DGMOs of the Indian Armed Forces have not specified which targets were hit with BrahMos, there are definitive media reports and expert opinions that it was indeed used. Operation Sindoor was initiated as a response to 22nd April Pahalgam terrorist attack by The Resistance Force, a Lashkar-e-Taiba-affiliated terrorist outfit, that claimed lives of 26 innocent Hindus. Terrorists selectively picked Hindu tourists and brutally killed them after confirming their religion in front of their family members.
In his post, Jairam wrote, “India’s Integrated Missile Development Programme began in 1983. It has had great successes. Sometime in the mid-90s, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and his colleagues like Dr Sivathanu Pillai felt the need for collaboration with the Russians for supersonic cruise missiles. An inter-governmental agreement was signed on 12th February 1998 when IK Gujral was PM. Incidentally, he was India’s Ambassador to the USSR 1976-80. Thereafter the first contract was signed on 9th July 1999, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was PM. The first successful launch took place on 12th June 2001.”
He then continued to mention how the development and integration took place during the UPA era and claimed that it was because of Manmohan Singh that India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime. He added, “Thereafter the missile was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2005 and Indian Army in 2007. The air-launched variant of BrahMos appeared in 2012. All this was when Dr. Manmohan Singh was PM. It was his leadership that led to the historic Indo-US nuclear agreement of 2005, paving the way for India finally joining the Missile Technology Control Regime eleven years later. It was also during his tenure that the BrahMos Integration Complex in Hyderabad and the BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited were established.”
With all the glittery words praising Congress and Manmohan Singh’s regime, what he did not say spoke louder than what he did. As always, there was a selective telling from the Congress leader. He conveniently erased the work done by then-Defence Minister George Fernandes and maintained complete silence over the fact that Congress governments, even after the integration of such an advanced missile system, never actually used BrahMos when national security demanded it the most. The 26/11 Mumbai attacks are only one stark example.
The real history of BrahMos – Vajpayee, Fernandes, Kalam
The true history of BrahMos traces back to the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) launched in 1983 under Indira Gandhi. However, the need for a supersonic cruise missile was seriously felt only after the Gulf War of the 1990s.
When IK Gujral was the Prime Minister of India, a crucial Indo-Russian inter-governmental agreement was signed on 12th February 1998. The programme gained real momentum under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The first contract between India and Russia was signed on 9th July 1999, shortly after Vajpayee assumed office.
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Dr. Sivathanu Pillai led the scientific drive. Kalam, also called the Missile Man of India, played the central role. He made the Indo-Russian partnership a reality. The first successful test of BrahMos took place on 12th June 2001, under Vajpayee’s leadership.
One of the tests were done in October 2003, which was covered by media. Reports suggested that BrahMos was first test-fired on 12th June 2001, second time on 28th April 2002 and third time on 12th February 2003. The October one was the fourth test. Production of the missile was authorised by the end of 2003, as mentioned earlier by George Fernandes in the Lok Sabha in 2002, and its induction into the Navy started in 2005. The missile’s variants were steadily expanded, including the air-launched version in 2012.
Notably, in August 2004, when UPA-1 had assumed power, then-Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee informed the Lok Sabha that BrahMos would be inducted into the Navy by 2005. Then, in December 2004, he informed the Lok Sabha that eight tests had been successful and production was in progress for induction in 2005. It is next to impossible for Congress to have developed and inducted BrahMos into the Indian Navy within a year. The credit for the development has to go to Vajpayee’s tenure and Fernandes as Defence Minister. Furthermore, Fernandes, in 2002, had told Rajya Sabha that BrahMos would be inducted in 2004. Clearly, it was delayed.
BrahMos exists because of George Fernandes
If it were not for George Fernandes, BrahMos would not have existed. The fearless Defence Minister fast-tracked India’s missile power despite enormous global pressure. After India’s 1998 nuclear tests, Western powers imposed several sanctions. They sought to isolate India technologically and militarily.
However, Fernandes stood firm. He pushed forward the BrahMos collaboration even as the establishment faced threats and diplomatic bullying. It was his courage and clarity that enabled the BrahMos programme to move from paper to production lines.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shamelessly attempted to erase all the efforts made by George Fernandes during his tenure as Defence Minister. It is a masterclass in petty and vindictive politics. Why did he do so? Because acknowledging Fernandes would mean admitting that India’s missile might was built by leaders who were neither Congressmen nor controlled by their ecosystem.
Congress’ hypocrisy – they neither backed it fully nor used it
As Congress wants to claim credit for BrahMos, one must ask, what did they do with it? The answer is damning. Despite repeated terror attacks, especially the 2008 Mumbai attack (26/11), and countless strikes on Indian soil by Pakistani proxies, Congress never intended to use BrahMos even once.
On 26th November 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists held Mumbai hostage for days. They killed 166 innocent people. The UPA Government led by Manmohan Singh took no decisive military action against the terror-sponsoring state, Pakistan. BrahMos, which was inducted into the Navy in 2005 and the Army in 2007, sat unused.
Instead of taking strong military action, there was silence. There were candle marches. There was “strong condemnation”. And there were dossiers sent to Islamabad by the then Indian government under Manmohan Singh, but never any punitive action.
BJP made it, Congress claimed it, but never dared to use it
The uncomfortable truth for Congress is that BrahMos’s story revolves around Vajpayee, Fernandes, and Kalam. These are the people Congress would rather forget than give credit to. The BJP and NDA leadership created a self-reliant India, capable of defending its interests and projecting strength. BrahMos was part of that journey.
BrahMos today marked its presence in Operation Sindoor not because of Congress speeches, but because of fearless leaders who chose action over appeasement.
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