
"Rahul, Ramesh, Revanth got 'SMS' from their own leaders": BJP slams Congress
New Delhi [India], June 3 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala on Tuesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, Revanth Reddy for criticising all-party delegation and raising questions on Operation Sindoor, saying that they have received an 'SMS' from their own leaders to stop 'Pakistan-Parasti.'
From his 'SMS' remarks, Poonawalla referred to Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Salman Khurshid, who are part of an all-party delegation, visiting multiple key partner countries to put up India's firm stance against terrorism.
The BJP leader advised Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh, and Revanth Reddy to prioritise the nation's welfare over party and family welfare.
'Today RRR - Revanth, Rahul and Ramesh (Revanth Reddy, Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh) got SMS - message from Salman Khurshid, Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor - that stop 'Pakistan Parasti' and don't keep the party and family's welfare over nation's welfare... Triple R are criticising the delegation and Operation Sindoor and insulting the army and Parliamentarians. Salman Khurshid showed the mirror to Rahul Gandhi, saying that no mediation was done from America...' Poonawala told ANI.
These remarks came after Congress leader Salman Khurshid expressed disappointment over political infighting while the delegation works on a national mission.
In a social media post on X, Khurshid wrote, 'When on mission against terrorism, to carry India's message to the world, it's distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances. Is it so difficult to be patriotic?'
https://x.com/salman7khurshid/status/1929451956411531289
On May 29, Jairam Ramesh took a jibe at the Central government for sending out parliamentarians across the world while the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack are 'roaming around.'
'It has been a month since the Pahalgam attack on April 22. Today, those terrorists are roaming around. They had a role in the December 2023 Poonch terror attack; the Ganderbal attack in October 2024; and in the same month, another attack took place--they had their role in that too. This means that the Pahalgam terrorists are responsible for four attacks in 18 months, and they are roaming around. Our MPs are roaming around, and our terrorists are roaming around too,' Ramesh told ANI.
Seven groups of MPs have been sent to various countries to present India's stance against terrorism and expose Pakistan's links to it. The delegation of MPs is meeting various political leaders, think tanks and the Indian diaspora in various countries.
Earlier, Congress' Udit Raj criticised Shashi Tharoor over his statement in Panama as part of the multi-party delegation and called him a 'spokesperson for the publicity stunts of the BJP'. Similar criticism had come from Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera also. (ANI)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
12 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Bilawal Bhutto gets an earful from US lawmaker, asked to eliminate Jaish-e-Mohammed
A senior US lawmaker told a visiting Pakistani delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to take strong action against the terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed and to ensure the safety of religious minorities in the country. This comes as Congressman Brad Sherman met with the Pakistani delegation in Washington on Thursday. Their visit coincided with that of an Indian multi-party parliamentary team led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is in the US to brief American officials about Operation Sindoor and India's response to terrorism following the April 22 Pahalgam attack. After meeting Bilawal Bhutto, Sherman took to social media platform 'X' and said, 'I emphasised to the Pakistani delegation the importance of combatting terrorism, and in particular, the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, who murdered my constituent Daniel Pearl in 2002.' He was referring to a Wall Street Journal journalist, Pearl, who was kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Pakistan. Omar Saeed Sheikh was convicted for planning the crime. Sherman added that Pearl's family still lives in his district and stressed, 'Pakistan should do all it can to eliminate this vile group and combat terrorism in the region.' The US lawmaker also pressed the Pakistani side to push for the release of Dr Shakil Afridi, the physician who helped US intelligence locate Osama bin Laden. 'Freeing Dr Afridi represents an important step in bringing closure for victims of 9/11,' Sherman said. Afridi was arrested in 2011 after the bin Laden raid and was later sentenced to 33 years in prison by a Pakistani court. The US lawmaker further raised concerns about religious freedom in Pakistan, saying, 'Christians, Hindus and Ahmadiyya Muslims living in Pakistan must be allowed to practice their faith and participate in the democratic system without fear of violence, persecution, discrimination, or an unequal justice system.' Bhutto Zardari's visit, which included meetings with UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and UN security council ambassadors in New York, appears to be part of Pakistan's effort to raise the Kashmir issue internationally. However, US lawmakers instead urged the delegation to address terrorism based in Pakistan.


Hindustan Times
12 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
China, Iran on board as Brics forum stands against Pahalgam attack
The Brics Parliamentary Forum has strongly condemned the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and resolved to take collective action against terrorism, according to a communique released by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday. The joint declaration was adopted at the 11th Brics Parliamentary Forum held in Brasilia, Brazil, by 10 member nations, including India, Brazil, Russia, China, South Africa, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. The high-level Indian delegation was led by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. 'The joint declaration strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India, and member parliaments agreed to act collectively against terrorism. Shri Birla stressed the need for joint efforts to curb financial support to terrorist organizations, enhance intelligence sharing, prevent the misuse of emerging technologies, and promote cooperation in investigation and judicial processes,' the communique stated, noting that India's firm stance on countering terrorism was strongly acknowledged by the forum. The communique also stated that Birla, in his address, presented India's position on various key subjects — especially global cooperation against terrorism, a just and balanced international order, participation in technological innovation, and democratic exchange. The two-day Brics Parliamentary Forum, which ended on June 5, saw delegates deliberating pressing global challenges including the responsible use of artificial intelligence, inter-parliamentary cooperation, global trade and economy, and international peace and security. At the conclusion of the event, Birla was handed over the chairmanship over the forum's chairmanship, with India hosting the 12th Brics Parliamentary Forum next year. 'India will now play an active role in strengthening cooperation among Brics parliaments and advancing a shared approach to addressing global challenges,' the statement added. Terrorists gunned down 26 tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on April 22, leading to a spike in tensions between two countries. India launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7 when the army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) hit nine terror camps inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing more than 100 terrorists. It triggered four days of strikes and counterstrikes with fighter jets, missiles, drones, long-range weapons and heavy artillery before the two sides reached an understanding on stopping all military action on May 10.


Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
'CM's office instructed full arrangements despite risks': Section of police force fumes, says senior officers have been made scapegoats
BENGALURU: The suspension of Bengaluru city police commissioner B Dayananda and four other senior officers has triggered a backlash within the police force. From constables to inspectors, many are furious and feel betrayed by the very govt they serve. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A police inspector said the suspensions in this context is unprecedented in Indian policing, adding that the state govt was directly involved in organising the celebrations. 'The chief minister's office instructed him (Dayananda) to proceed with full arrangements regardless of the risks. If accountability must be fixed, it should start with those in the govt,' he said. Head constable Narasimharaju from Madiwala police station staged a protest in front of Raj Bhavan against Dayananda's suspension. He was detained, taken to Vidhana Soudha police station, and released after providing an apology. An assistant sub-inspector from the central division, termed the suspensions politically motivated. 'There is video proof of deputy CM DK Shivakumar waving the RCB flag and welcoming the team. They wanted to take credit, and now they've made scapegoats of hardworking officers. It's demoralising.' 'The police commissioner was against holding a function at Vidhana Soudha. He had pushed for hosting it only at the stadium, but the CM's office insisted on going ahead. We're being punished for following orders,' said a senior inspector. He added: 'We work round the clock, sacrificing family time. And this is what we get!' The chief secretary and other IAS officers are also being castigated by the police force for throwing caution to the wind. Police personnel argue that Dayananda worked tirelessly to make the city safer. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They say he should not have been punished for a disaster that, they claim, speaks more about the political establishment's greed to bask in the glory of the IPL champions than any real policing lapse. A head constable from south-east division said they were on crowd control from June 3, the night of the IPL final. 'We barely had any rest. Yet, by afternoon on June 4, we were told to again report for duty near the stadium [Chinnaswamy]. And now, they're targeting the commissioner who stood by us!'