Rahul Gandhi should have used opportunity to applaud soldiers: BJP on LoP's Poonch visit

New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) Reacting to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's visit to J&K’s Poonch district on Saturday, BJP National Spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said he (LoP) should have used the opportunity to honour the bravery of Indian soldiers.

“Rahul Gandhi has gone to the border, he should be chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ there and applauding our soldiers. The Indian Army has broken Pakistan’s back, destroyed nine of their terrorist camps, and eliminated over 100 terrorists,” Hussain told IANS.

LoP Rahul Gandhi visited several locations in Poonch affected by recent cross-border shelling from Pakistani troops. During his visit, he met families impacted by the violence and inspected damaged religious and educational institutions, including a gurdwara, a Hindu temple, a madrassa, and a Christian missionary school.

His visit comes after recent tensions between India and Pakistan, with intermittent ceasefire violations reported in the region. LoP Rahul Gandhi's presence aimed to express solidarity with civilians who bore the brunt of the hostilities.

However, the BJP has criticised the Congress leader’s visit, suggesting that it lacked nationalistic messaging and failed to sufficiently recognise the efforts of the armed forces.

Shahnawaz Hussain further referenced recent comments made by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during his visit to Germany, where Jaishankar declared that “India will not bow down to nuclear blackmailing.”

Backing the statement, Hussain added, “Jaishankar has rightly said, we have to protect our people and also respond to terrorists. Pakistan has been clearly warned: if there is any terrorist activity, Operation Sindoor hasn’t ended; it’s only been suspended. The ceasefire is in place, but any provocation will be met with the same force as before.”

Hussain also took a dig at the Congress party’s ongoing outreach campaign, ‘Jai Hind Yatra’, and accused the party of hypocrisy. “On one hand, Congress holds events like 'Jai Hind Sabha', and on the other, it questions the valour of the Indian Army. They earlier raised doubts about the surgical strike and the Balakot airstrike, and now they’re questioning Operation Sindoor,” he said.

--IANS

rs/dan