‘Saboot gang not happy with what India achieved': BJP's Sambit Patra slams Congress leaders for remarks post-Operation Sindoor

Indian Express

a day ago

A day after it accused Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh of putting terrorists and Members of Parliament in the same category, the BJP launched an attack on the party for allegedly bringing down the morale of the Indian armed forces and common citizens on multiple occasions.
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, quoting news articles acknowledging the might of India's retaliation against Pakistan following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, accused the Congress of being a 'saboot gang' in cahoots with Pakistan.
'In this climate, it is painful that there are political parties and especially the Congress who, in the beginning, said they are standing with the nation and with the government but they did not actually stand by either for a single day. From day one, Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh and several of their leaders, including Robert Vadra and the entire Congress leadership, have raised questions regarding the Indian Army and its valour,' Patra alleged.
'This saboot gang is not happy at what India has been able to achieve (in Operation Sindoor)…just think about it: Jairam Ramesh, who is the right-hand man of the Gandhi family, makes a statement that terrorists are roaming around here, MPs are roaming around there (in foreign countries). In one breath, you have put terrorists and MPs in the same category?' he asked.
Adding that these delegations also included Congress MPs, Patra further asked, 'Did you not think about the fact that the MPs who are travelling as part of foreign delegations are not on vacation but have been deputed to effectively put forth India's stance (on Operation Sindoor) on the world stage? And that these include your MPs too?'
Acknowledging that Congress MPs too were 'effectively communicating' India's stance on the world stage, Patra took on senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for 'shedding tears for terrorists.'
'There used to be a time when terrorists used to be called to the PMO; at Sonia-ji's instructions, the then PM used to call terrorists to his office and home. They used to be welcomed and given gifts. We should also recall how Sonia-ji used to cry seeing the bodies of dead terrorists…days when Rahul Gandhi used to party after attacks like 26/11… Such people are saying this today?' he asked.
'It saddens me that Rahul Gandhi, Revanth Reddy and (Jairam) Ramesh-ji are all asking how many of India's planes have been downed since day one. Is this a question worth asking? Indian armed forces destroyed nine terrorist hideouts — there is satellite imagery of this which has been provided. All the facts were presented in the DGMOs' press conference. There were before and after images,' he said.
The same was the case with the 11 Pakistani airbases attacked by the Indian armed forces, he said, adding that all these were presented with proof. 'If a plane is downed, there is wreckage to prove it; there are satellite images of it too. When a plane is downed, ripples are sent through the international world order… Experts weigh in on it — but did anything like this happen?' he asked.
Patra then quoted Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's statement admitting that India had attacked Pakistani military bases with BrahMos missiles even as it was preparing to retaliate against India's strikes at nine locations on the intervening night of May 9 and 10.
'Rahul Gandhi, why are you asking us for a report card or proof when your own friend…Shehbaz Sharif himself has provided it?' he also asked.
All these statements, Patra alleged, were 'synchronised', with the Congress's senior leadership on the one hand saying that it stood by the government even as its other leaders gave statements questioning the necessity of war and India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty.
'Just think about it: Rahul Gandhi did not ask even once how many Pakistani airbases had been destroyed, how many terror camps were destroyed or how many terrorists were killed,' he alleged.
'The country knows that there are two camps in the Congress party — one which is supporting Pakistan and the other which consists of leaders who do want to raise their voice for the sake of the country but are not able to do so because of you…your Jai Hind Yatra, where it is asked how many Indian planes were downed, seems more like a Jai Pakistan Yatra,' he added.
Taking on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's comments questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Operation Sindoor, Patra asked, 'She is asking whether PM Modi is everyone's husband? What kind of language and statement is this? I would just like to say that PM Modi is everyone's sewak and brother, there is no doubt.'
'What is also undoubtable is that all these Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators entering India have been given shelter only by you,' he alleged.