By The Sampadak Express
A fresh political showdown erupted Friday as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, claiming India’s foreign policy had “collapsed” under the current government. His remarks come in the wake of growing diplomatic tensions and international responses to Operation Sindoor.
Taking to social media platform X, Gandhi questioned why India had been “hyphenated with Pakistan” by global powers and why no country came forward to support India’s stance during the recent conflict. He also criticized the government over reports of U.S. President Donald Trump’s alleged offer to mediate between India and Pakistan.
Sharing an edited video clip of Mr. Jaishankar’s interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS, the Congress leader demanded answers: “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?”
The controversy intensified on Thursday when Gandhi directly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of compromising India’s national interests. “Modi ji, stop giving hollow speeches,” he posted on X. “Why did you believe Pakistan’s statement on terrorism? Why did you bow to Trump, sacrificing India’s prestige?”
Congress has also intensified its criticism of Mr. Jaishankar, referring to him as ‘Jaichand Jaishankar’a historical reference to betrayal fueling the verbal clash between the two national parties.
The row centers around remarks by Mr. Jaishankar that India had clarified at the beginning of Operation Sindoor that its targets were terrorist camps, not Pakistani military assets. Rahul Gandhi interpreted this as a pre-notification to Pakistan, a claim the Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed as a “complete distortion of facts.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has countered Congress’ attacks by calling Rahul Gandhi a “modern-day Mir Jafar,” likening him to the historical figure accused of betraying India during colonial times.
As the war of words escalates, foreign policy and national security are set to remain central themes in India’s political discourse.
