Congress' Jai Hind Yatra More Like 'Jai Pakistan Yatra': BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday lashed out at the Congress for its leaders' questions and jibes at the government over the conflict with Pakistan and alleged the opposition party's ongoing 'Jai Hind Yatra' looks more like "Jai Pakistan Yatra".

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters that senior Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, have often asked about the number of aircraft India lost in Operation Sindoor. He accused Jairam Ramesh of equating MPs travelling abroad as members of all-party delegations with terrorists.

Gandhi never asked about the details of terror sites and air bases destroyed in Pakistan but his party has enquired about the losses of Indian jets more frequently than the neighbouring country, he said.

The BJP MP from Puri said these leaders are "babbar" (warrior) of Pakistan and "gabbar" (the iconic villain of Bollywood blockbuster Sholay) of India, and added they would meet the same fate as the fictional bandit in the movie did in the hands of protagonists Jai and Veeru.

"Gabbar's defeat is certain due to India's 'jai' (glory) and 'veerta' (valour)." He noted that even Congress MPs are part of the seven all-party delegations currently on a visit to world capitals to put across India's resolve against terror following the Pahalgam massacre and retaliatory strikes against Pakistan.

These Congress MPs are doing a good job, strongly projecting India's stand but Ramesh in one breath is comparing them to terrorists, he said.

The Congress chief spokesperson had said on Thursday that the terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack are roaming and so are these MPs abroad.

Patra rejected media reports that the ruling BJP planned to distribute vermilion (sindoor) among women to mark the Narendra Modi government's anniversary. He accused the opposition party of spreading this propaganda to belittle Operation Sindoor.

He cited controversial statements of a number of Congress leaders, including some questioning the military conflict with Pakistan and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty after the Pahalgam attack to accuse the opposition party of deliberately attempting to lower the country's morale.

The BJP leader said the opposition party might have claimed it is with the government on the issue, but it has been lowering the morale of the armed forces from the very beginning.

"The Congress should suspend its Jai Hind Yatra, which is more like Jai Pakistan Yatra, and instead consult with Pakistan and hold a joint press conference," Patra said, claiming that Gandhi is being quoted frequently in Pakistan.

With the Congress increasingly turning caustic at its MP Shashi Tharoor, who is leading the multi-party delegation to the US and four other countries, for his stout defence of the government's actions, Patra said the party is divided into two factions.

One supports Pakistan, he alleged, while another includes those who want to raise their voice for India but cannot due to leaders like Gandhi.

He noted that another Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who is a member of one of the delegations, had spoken about the changes brought by the revocation of Article 370. Somebody should relay the former Union minister's remarks to Gandhi, the BJP leader said.

During the Congress-led UPA rule, terrorists were invited to the Prime Minister's Office at the behest of the then Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he claimed and referred to reports that she had cried over the killing of some young terrorists in the Batla House encounter.

Patra also referred to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's comments that India's Brahmos missiles hit his country's military facilities ahead of the planned attack on Indian targets to emphasise the damage inflicted on the neighbouring country.

"Gandhi should listen to his friend Sharif," he said.

Patra quoted the opinion of US-based military expert John Spencer, which has been reported widely in the Indian media, that India won the tech war in the conflict while Pakistan lost as China's proxy.

He said Spencer was not alone as many experts have spoken about India's decisive victory but some opposition parties, especially the Congress, have been trying to lower the country's morale.

Criticising West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her choice of words in slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who at a rally in the state had hit out at her government, he said Modi is everyone's "sewak".

It is beyond any doubt that she was sheltering infiltrators and Rohingyas, he added.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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