Latest news with #Nishan-e-Pakistan
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
LoP or Nishan-e-Pakistan: BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks on Operation Sindoor
NEW DELHI: Launching a scathing attack against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, the ruling BJP on Friday asked him to stop 'undermining' the Indian Armed Forces' valour and 'jeopardising' the country's security by making 'irresponsible remarks' about Operation Sindoor. Sarcastically suggesting Gandhi not to vie for 'Nishan-e-Pakistan', BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused the Congress leader of carrying forward the 'agenda of countries inimical to India.' He said Gandhi's recent remarks on the India-Pakistan conflict were being used by Islamabad to 'defame' the country. 'Rahul Gandhi, you decide which side you are on. You have to decide whether you are India's leader of opposition or Pakistan's Nishan-e-Pakistan,' Bhatia said. Notably, the ruling party's accusation came a day after Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having 'compromised' India's 'prestige' and asked him why he sacrificed the national interest by agreeing to halt military action against Pakistan. 'Rahul Gandhi, stop undermining the valour and commitment of our brave armed forces, stop asking questions which shouldn't be asked. They jeopardise national security,' Bhatia advised the Congress leader, while noting that his remarks could not be dismissed as 'juvenile behaviour.' The BJP spokesperson alleged that it is in the character of Rahul Gandhi 'to intentionally ask such questions, taking forward the agenda of nations which are inimical to our country.'
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
War of words: In targeting Jaishankar, is Rahul Gandhi tripping on Js?
At a time when Congress leaders and MPs are on foreign soil as part of multi-party delegations explaining the government's position on Pakistan and terrorism emanating from the neighbouring country, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Friday posed a fresh set of questions to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and claimed 'India's foreign policy has collapsed'. Gandhi's use of the initials 'JJ', which he did not clarify, caused consternation in sections of the party. His post also drew a sharp rebuttal from the BJP, which criticised his 'immature and irresponsible comments' that were 'miles from the truth' and said he was deserving of 'Nishan-e-Pakistan (Pakistan's highest civilian honour)'. Sharing a clip of Jaishankar's interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS, Gandhi wrote on X, 'Will JJ explain: Why has India been hyphenated with Pakistan? Why didn't a single country back us in condemning Pakistan? Who asked Trump to 'mediate' between India & Pakistan?' Congress media department head Pawan Khera and social media chief Supriya Shrinate refused to comment on what Gandhi meant by 'JJ'. Two senior leaders said it was obvious that while one J stood for Jaishankar, the other was open to interpretation. 'It could be Joker or jhoota (liar). It could be Jaichand or Mir Jafar, who are both considered traitors,' said a leader. The other party functionary said, 'It is up to the people to interpret what the J stands for.' Another senior Congress functionary said the party 'should not play such games' with a Union Minister. 'There has to be a better way to ask questions from the government and the EAM. I know the BJP has made personal attacks on the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. But there has to be a difference between us and them,' he added. A leader who is part of one of the all-party delegations said, 'He is the LoP. He has certain responsibilities to ask questions of the government on behalf of the people. But such posts on social media. I don't understand them. You can have your spokespersons and leaders do such things. Why do it yourself from your official social media account?' This is not the first time the Congress and Gandhi have targeted Jaishankar this week. On Monday, the LoP asked the minister to clarify whether the government had 'informed' Pakistan before targeting the terrorist infrastructure on its soil and what it meant in terms of aircraft 'lost' by India. Khera repeated the allegations at a media briefing the same day, adding that Jaishankar's remarks may have helped terrorists 'escape'. Khera even called the minister a 'mukhbir (informant)' – something that didn't go down well with a section of Congress leaders, who said that it was taking things 'too far'. The Ministry of External Affairs clarified that Jaishankar's remarks were being 'falsely represented' and added, 'This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out.' The BJP hit back at Gandhi's 'undignified words', saying his comments were playing into Pakistan's hands. Underlining the significance of the LoP's office, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, 'You can have a difference of opinion with the Prime Minister, this can happen in a democracy but using undignified words against him, your statements being seconded by Pakistan and their being played in their Senate, being used by Pakistan to defame India and your staying quiet is worrying.' Asking him to 'choose sides' once and for all, Bhatia said Gandhi needed to decide if he was 'the Leader of the Opposition of India or Pakistan's Nishan-e-Pakistan'. 'When Operation Sindoor is still on, what kind of irresponsible statements are being made by Rahul Gandhi ji? 'Please tell me how many of the India Air Force's jets have been downed?'… This is when today, Pakistan's senior political leader Maryam Nawaz said that Pakistan had to suffer a lot of losses during the nights of May 6, 7, and 9 because of Indian retaliation,' he said. 'Pakistan is admitting that our forces destroyed nine terror launchpads, destroyed 11 Pakistani airbases. Maryam Nawaz is admitting that Pakistan has got such a jolt that it is crumbling. What is LoP, Nishan-e-Pakistan doing now? … Rahul Gandhi ji, your core character of being anti-India, against the morale of the country's armed forces (has been exposed) … why did you start hating the 140 crore people of the country while hating PM Narendra Modi?' he asked. Earlier in the day, before Gandhi's social media post, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleged that in 1991 India and Pakistan had signed an agreement to exchange information 'about any attack or army movement'. This, he added, was signed with the support of the Congress. 'Is this agreement treason? Congress is hand in glove with Pakistani vote bank, does it suit you to make objectionable comments on Foreign Minister S Jaishankar,' Dubey wrote on X. After Khera pointed out that the Congress had withdrawn support to the Chandra Shekhar government in February 1991, Dubey responded by saying the Congress had 'stopped reading'. 'According to article 14 of this agreement, this agreement was ratified in a meeting held in Delhi on 19 August 1992, which is written on page number 2 of my tweet. Was there a Congress government in 1992 or not?' he asked. The 'Agreement between India and Pakistan on advance notice on military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements' was signed on April 6, 1991. The Chandra Shekhar government lasted a total of seven months from November 10, 1990, to June 21, 1991, continuing for a few months after the Congress withdrew support on March 6. In the elections that followed, the Congress returned to power under the leadership of P V Narasimha Rao.
The Print
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Stop ‘undermining' armed forces' valour, ‘jeopardising' India's security: BJP to Rahul on Op Sindoor
'Rahul Gandhi, you decide which side you are on. You have to decide whether you are India's leader of opposition or Pakistan's Nishan-e-Pakistan,' Bhatia said at a press conference. Calling Gandhi 'Nishan-e-Pakistan', BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused the Congress leader of carrying forward the 'agenda of countries inimical to India' and said his remarks on the India-Pakistan conflict were being used by Islamabad to 'defame' India. New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) The BJP on Friday launched a scathing attack at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and asked him to stop 'undermining' the Indian Armed Forces' valour and 'jeopardising' the country's security by making 'irresponsible remarks' about Operation Sindoor. The BJP's charge came a day after Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of having 'compromised' India's 'prestige' and asked him why he sacrificed the nation's interests by agreeing to halt military hostilities against Pakistan. 'Rahul Gandhi, stop undermining the valour and commitment of our brave armed forces, stop asking questions which shouldn't be asked. They jeopardise national security,' Bhatia urged the Congress leader. He said Gandhi's remarks could not be dismissed as 'juvenile behaviour'. 'It has been the core character of Rahul Gandhi to intentionally ask such questions, taking forward the agenda of nations which are inimical to our country,' he alleged. The BJP spokesperson also lashed out at Gandhi over his remarks that India's foreign policy had 'collapsed' and asked him if the joint statement of then prime minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Syed Yusuf Raza in Sharm el Sheikh after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack that Pakistan was also a victim terror was the Congress' diplomacy. Terming the Sharm el Sheikh joint statement as 'irresponsible behaviour' of the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Bhatia said it was made against the 'established policy' of India and asked Gandhi if he had forgotten it. 'Rahul Gandhi, in his own eyes, feels that he is the best diplomat that the world has ever seen. But in the eyes of Indian citizens, he doesn't even know the 'D' of diplomacy. He is acting like an enemy of our country,' the BJP spokesperson charged. Gandhi on Friday claimed that India's foreign policy had 'collapsed' and asked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to explain why India was hyphenated with Pakistan and who asked US President Donald Trump to 'mediate' between the two South Asian neighbours. Bhatia slammed Gandhi and the Congress for making 'irresponsible and immature statements' on the Operation Sindoor, describing them as 'far from truth', and said it had become their character. At a time Operation Sindoor is underway, Rahul Gandhi is making 'careless statements' and asking the Indian Air Force how many fighter planes were shot down during the operation even though Air Marshal Awadhesh Kumar Bharti, while replying to a related a media query earlier, had said it was not prudent to answer such a question during a combat scenario, he said. 'Rahul Gandhi, your basic character is anti-India and one that breaks the morale of the country's armed forces,' he charged. 'Why did you start hating the country while hating Prime Minister Modi?' Bhatia alleged that the Congress and Gandhi were 'betraying' India by repeatedly asking such questions and seeking information from the government and the armed forces when Operation Sindoor was still underway. 'Is it not a conspiracy against India? Shouldn't a leader of opposition know when to ask what kind of question? he asked. PTI PK PK SZM SZM This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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Business Standard
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Karnataka HC stays case against Arnab Goswami, BJP IT cell chief
The Karnataka High Court has granted an interim stay on criminal proceedings initiated against BJP leader Amit Malviya and Republic TV's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, in connection with allegations of spreading false claims that the Indian National Congress (INC) operates an office in Istanbul, Turkiye. Justice S Rachiah passed the order on Thursday while hearing petitions filed by both Malviya and Goswami, seeking the quashing of the cases lodged against them. The stay will remain in effect until the next hearing. Malviya is also facing a separate case over a controversial social media post in which he shared a morphed image showing half the face of Gandhi merged with that of Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir. The caption alleged that Gandhi was aligning with Pakistan's narrative, particularly in the wake of India's military offensive Operation Sindoor, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Malviya's post further questioned whether Gandhi was aspiring for the Nishan-e-Pakistan, Pakistan's highest civilian award. Both cases have now been stayed following petitions to quash them. The Congress had filed multiple complaints across the country, including in Karnataka, accusing Malviya and Goswami of orchestrating a "criminally motivated campaign" to spread fabricated claims that the Istanbul Congress Centre in Turkiye is an official Congress office. The party alleged that the misinformation was aimed at defaming the INC, inciting unrest, and compromising national security, particularly sensitive in light of strained diplomatic ties between India and Turkiye following the Pahalgam attack and India's retaliatory action. On May 20, Republic TV issued a public correction, stating that an image used in its digital coverage, which was purportedly linked to the alleged Congress office in Turkey, was mistakenly included by a video editor. The channel clarified that the image had no relevance to the broadcast content and was never aired on Goswami's primetime debate show. The error, the channel said, occurred after the live show had ended and was swiftly corrected. Republic TV extended an "unconditional and sincere" apology. The next day, a post on Malviya's 'X' handle reiterated that the Congress had opened an office in Turkiye in 2019, shortly after it voiced support for Pakistan on the Kashmir issue at the UN. He dismissed the legal actions as evasive and insisted the party had yet to provide a credible explanation. During Thursday's court proceedings, Senior Advocate Aruna Shyam, representing Malviya and Goswami, argued that the cases were politically driven and lacked substance. He highlighted inconsistencies in the application of legal provisions, particularly how an initially bailable charge under Section 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was reportedly upgraded to a non-bailable one under Section 353 after police approached a magistrate. Section 353 pertains to statements intended to incite public disorder. Shyam questioned the applicability of Section 353, stating, "He (Gandhi) is not a government functionary but the opposition leader," suggesting that the legal escalation was politically motivated. The State's counsel responded that the investigation was at a preliminary stage and only notices had been issued, with no intention of making arrests. He urged the court to allow the inquiry to proceed to ascertain the nature and context of the disseminated information.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘LoP or Nishan-e-Pakistan?': BJP jibes Rahul Gandhi over ‘aircraft lost' remark
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday slammed Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his social media post questioning how many Indian Air Force jets were lost during Operation Sindoor, accusing him of making 'careless' statements that could compromise national security. At a press briefing, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that Gandhi's comments were being used by Pakistan to target India and demoralise the armed forces. He questioned whether the Congress leader stood with India or with its adversaries, asking if Rahul Gandhi was acting as the Leader of Opposition or 'Pakistan's Nishan-e-Pakistan.' 'Today, the nation is asking Rahul Gandhi. It is acceptable to have differences of opinion with the Prime Minister; that is part of a democracy,' said BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia. However, he added, 'The kind of language you (Rahul Gandhi) are using against the Prime Minister is deeply troubling. Your statements are now being discussed in Pakistan's parliament. Pakistan is using the words of Congress leaders to target India, and yet, you have remained silent. That is worrisome.' 'Rahul Gandhi, you must decide whose side you are on,' Bhatia said, adding, 'Are you India's Leader of Opposition, or Pakistan's Nishan-e-Pakistan? The country is watching. It is for you to decide.' Gaurav Bhatia cited Air Marshal Sandeep Singh Bharti's earlier remark that disclosing details about fighter jets is not prudent during an active combat scenario. 'When Operation Sindoor is going on, Rahul Gandhi is giving careless statements. He is asking how many IAF jets are down,' Bhatia said. 'On May 11, during a press briefing, Air Marshal Bharti said, 'We are in a combat scenario, it is not prudent for us to answer that question,'' he added. Bhatia alleged that Rahul Gandhi is echoing narratives favourable to Pakistan at a time when, according to Pakistani leader Mariam Nawaz, India inflicted significant damage through recent military action. 'Rahul Gandhi seems to be busy in conversations with Pakistan on how to weaken India and the morale of the forces. Today, a senior leader of Pakistan, Mariam Nawaz, gave a statement that on the night of May 6 and 7, and on May 9, Pakistan had to face a huge loss because of India's action,' Bhatia claimed. He alleged that under Rahul Gandhi's direction, Congress party chief Mallikarjun Kharge referred to Operation Sindoor as a small war, and criticised Congress's 'careless attitude,' suggesting that if anyone is betraying India, it is Rahul Gandhi.
