Jaishankar remarks row: BJP, Cong attack each other with 'Mir Jafar', Jaichand' barbs

New Delhi, May 20 (PTI) The war of words between Congress and BJP over their leaders' statements on the Indo-Pak conflict intensified on Tuesday, with the ruling party calling Rahul Gandhi "modern age Mir Jafar" and the opposition party describing External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as "new age Jaichand".

The two parties traded verbal barbs over their remarks on Operation Sindoor and also posted memes on social media, each suggesting that the other has betrayed the nation.

The Congress and Rahul Gandhi had attacked Jaishankar, alleging he had forewarned Pakistan about Operation Sindoor, and questioned how many planes India lost and how many terrorists escaped from their camps in Pakistan due to his "warning".

After Gandhi's attack, the BJP's Amit Malviya put up memes on X -- one showing half of the Congress leader's face blended with that of Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir and the caption "one agenda".

"What's next for Rahul Gandhi? The Nishan-e-Pakistan?" Malviya asked in the post while accusing the Congress leader of echoing Pakistan's narrative.

The post left the Congress fuming and the opposition party warned of legal action.

“Rahul Gandhi is the new age Mir Jafar,” Malviya, the BJP's IT department head, wrote on X, posting another meme showing the Congress leader asking Indian Army from behind a wall, “How many aircraft we lost”, while standing on the back of Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif who prods him to “ask loudly”.

"It is not surprising that Rahul Gandhi is speaking the language of Pakistan and its benefactors. He hasn't congratulated the Prime Minister on the flawless Operation Sindoor, which unmistakably showcases India's dominance.

"Instead, he repeatedly asks 'how many jets we lost' - a question that has already been addressed in the DGMO briefings. Curiously, he hasn't once inquired about how many Pakistani jets were shot down during the conflict, or how many were destroyed while parked in their hangars when Indian forces pounded Pakistani air bases," Malviya said in his post.

The Congress hit back with party leader Pawan Khera posting a meme apparently showing Jaishankar making a call to Pakistan with Prime Minister Modi by his side.

"Jaishankar is the new age Jaichand?" Khera said in a post while sharing the image in which minister says, "Stay Safe Janab", while Modi asks him to "speak loudly".

It is said Mir Jafar, who served as a commander in the Bengal army under Siraj ud-Daulah, had betrayed him during the Battle of Plassey, paving the way for British rule in India. Jaichand, a Rajput king, is known to have supported Muslim invader Muhammad Ghori against another Rajput ruler Prithviraj Chauhan.

Khera said at a time when the nation stood united in grief and solidarity and its borders are facing heightened security tensions, the ruling BJP "behaves with shocking immaturity and reckless abandon".

"Instead of showing accountability and statesmanship, they retreat behind empty bravado and diversionary tactics," he alleged.

"We, as a responsible opposition, have always stood firmly with our armed forces without any compromise, but we cannot and will not remain silent when the government fails the very people it is sworn to protect," Khera said, posing several questions.

"Why did the BJP government rush to inform Pakistan about the operation before even alerting our civilians in border areas like Poonch? Did terrorists like Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed and the terrorists responsible for Pahalgam escape because of these premature disclosures? "Who is accountable for that? Based on the information shared by the External Affairs Minister with Pakistan, how many terrorists managed to escape? And how much damage did it cause to India's security and national interests?" he said.

The Ministry of External Affairs has refuted claims that Jaishankar had acknowledged that India alerted Pakistan before the launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7, describing the reports as an “utter misrepresentation”.

"The external affairs minister had stated that we had warned Pakistan at the start, which is clearly the early phase after Operation Sindoor's commencement," the external publicity (XP) division of the ministry said.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted a picture on X showing former prime minister Indira Gandhi telling Modi that "you shouldn't have bowed".

Khera said when the Congress asks these tough questions, BJP calls it anti-national, "but the real betrayal is putting Pakistani lives before Indian lives and running away from the truth".

"BJP should also answer why their own PM Morarji Desai was awarded Pakistan's highest civilian honour, Nishan-e-Pakistan', for leaking RAW secrets and compromising India's security. Is this the BJP's legacy of nationalism?" Khera asked.

He said the Congress "salutes our forces, not a government that weakens them through diplomatic blunders, poor intelligence management, and misplaced priorities".

He also demanded that the prime minister convene an all-party meeting and call a special session of Parliament to place the full truth before the nation, saying "India deserves answers, not theatrics".

Congress social media department head Supriya Shrinate also slammed Malviya's posts, saying his track record is filled with such controversial actions.

"Those who preach about dignity are conspicuously silent today. Is it acceptable to place the photograph of an elected Member of Parliament alongside that of Pakistan's Army Chief, Asim Munir? "Frankly, such actions are unacceptable and should not be tolerated at any cost. Congress will take legal action, and action has already been initiated," Shrinate said.

Malviya retorted, saying, "Worse, their most reliable allies seem to be sitting right here in India -- Rahul Gandhi and Congress leaders, whose statements conveniently echo Pakistan's narrative." "What a disgraceful fall for the Congress party -- from leading India's freedom struggle to questioning its own armed forces," he said.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged Gandhi's "consistent attempts" to undermine India's global narrative, especially after Operation Sindoor, where the world stood firmly with India, revealed a "dangerous intent".

"His heart beats not for Bharat, but for Pakistan. He isn't just misguided. He's a threat," Bhandari charged.

Gandhi had earlier said, "EAM Jaishankar's silence isn't just telling, it's damning. So I'll ask again: How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew?".

"This wasn't a lapse. It was a crime. And the nation deserves the truth," Gandhi had said.

Khera had also attacked Jaishankar saying the country is asking questions on why Pakistan was forewarned about Operation Sindoor, alleging that "Sindoor ke saath sauda hota raha aur Pradhan mantri chup rahe" (delas were struck at the cost of Sindoor and the prime minister remained silent). PTI SKC PK RT RT RT