BJP hits out at Reddy over Rafale remark, calls Cong ‘saboot gang’

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s comments regarding ‘Operation Sindoor’ have sparked a political backlash from the BJP, which has labelled him and other senior Congress leaders, Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh, as the “saboot gang.” The BJP accused them of attempting to undermine the morale of the Army. Reddy’s inquiry about how many Rafale aircraft were shot down, a claim not officially confirmed by the Indian Air Force (IAF), drew a strong response from BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. He remarked that those who are “Babbar” in Pakistan are “Gabbar” in India, suggesting that the fate of “Gabbar” would mirror that of the antagonist in the Bollywood classic ‘Sholay.’ During a press conference, Patra stated, “Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Revanth Reddy are asking how many Rafales were shot down. ‘Yeh jo Pakistan ke Babbar hain, woh Hindustan ke Gabbar hain.’ Rahul Gandhi did not inquire about how many Pakistani airbases were destroyed or how many terrorists were killed; instead, he only asked how many Indian planes were shot down.” He further added, “Today, there are two factions in Congress—one that supports Pakistan and another that wants to voice concerns for the country but is unable to do so because of you. Your ‘Jai Hind Yatra’ resembles ‘Pakistan’s Hind Yatra,’ and you should cease this yatra and hold a joint press conference with Pakistan.” Addressing the ‘Jai Hind’ rally, Reddy sought to know why PM Narendra Modi, who had called for an all-party meeting before going to war with Pakistan, did not do so before calling off the armed conflict with the neighbouring country. He criticised Modi for failing to separate Balochistan from Pakistan and for not taking control of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), despite the desires of 140 crore Indians. “The soldiers of this (Secunderabad ) Cantonment participated in the war. The war planes being manufactured in Telangana upheld respect for our country. Rafale aircraft brought by Narendra Modi were shot down by Pakistan. There is no discussion on how many Rafales were shot down. Narendra Modi should answer how many Rafale aircraft were shot down by Pakistan during the recent war. You give us the account,” Reddy said. Additionally, the Telangana unit of the BJP targeted Reddy, stating, “Stick to Miss World photo ops, Revanth. National security isn’t your ramp. When the nation wins, Congress sulks.”

India