New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the government of lacking the political will to support the Indian armed forces and claimed it revealed sensitive details about Operation Sindoor to Pakistan.
Speaking in Lok Sabha, he sharply criticised the government’s military response to the attack, raising questions about Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statements on the floor of the House.
“Rajnath Singh said Operation Sindoor began at 1:05 AM and that by 1:35 AM, India had already called Pakistan to inform them that we had hit non-military targets and that we did not want escalation,” Gandhi said.
“These are not my words. These are the words of India’s defence minister,” he said.
Gandhi also accused the government of undermining the morale and effectiveness of the armed forces by imposing limitations.
“If you want to use the Indian armed forces, you must have 100 per cent political will. You must give them full freedom of operation,” he asserted.
The Congress leader claimed that the Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) was instructed by the government to seek a ceasefire just 30 minutes after the launch of the operation.
“At 1:35 in the night, you told Pakistan exactly what you were going to do – that we will not hit military targets, that we don’t want escalation,” Gandhi said.
“You directly told Pakistan your political will, that you do not want to fight,” he alleged.
“You attacked Pakistan and simultaneously told them we are not going to hit your army or air defence systems. That is not freedom of manoeuvre; that is surrender.”
Gandhi also claimed that the loss of Indian aircraft during the operation was due to political constraints, not military shortcomings.
“The aircraft were lost because the political leadership had tied the hands of the armed forces by deciding not to attack military and air defence infrastructure in Pakistan,” he said.
Gandhi quoted India’s defence attache in Indonesia to attack the government, saying you told pilots not to attack their air defence system.
