Sound like Pak's PR team: BJP slams Rahul Gandhi, Revanth Reddy for Rafale remarks

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya on Friday lashed out at Telangana Chief Minister and Congress leader A Revanth Reddy for his remarks on Rafale fighter jets, accusing him of echoing Pakistan’s line and questioning the credibility of India’s armed forces.

In a post on X, Malviya said, “After Rahul Gandhi, now Telangana Chief Minister and Congress leader Revanth Reddy asks - ‘How many Rafale jets did Pakistan shoot down?’ It is honestly astonishing how out of depth these leaders are when it comes to matters of national security.”

Malviya said that if Pakistan had actually shot down a Rafale aircraft, there would have been concrete proof, such as satellite imagery, wreckage, or confirmation from international agencies, much like India had evidence of its own successful operations.

“But instead of standing with our armed forces, Congress leaders seem to be sourcing their ‘intel’ from WhatsApp forwards, social media speculation, or worse- their imagination. They sound more like Pakistan’s PR team than India’s opposition,” he said.

He also took a dig at the Congress party for questioning India’s military achievements, adding, “not one of them has asked — how many Pakistani jets have we taken out, including those parked at their bases during operations? That silence is telling.”

“It is almost like the questions Pakistan would love to ask are now being asked, conveniently, by the Congress party. Whether by ignorance or design, they’re playing right into enemy hands. And they’re doing a splendid job at it,” Malviya said.

Malviya’s remarks came in response to comments made by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy during a rally in Telangana on Thursday, where the Congress leader demanded that PM Modi answer how many Rafale jets were shot down by Pakistan during the recent conflict.

Reddy also questioned why an all-party meeting was not held before calling off the war and accused the BJP government of failing to deliver on key national security promises, including taking back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi too, in an X post, had earlier said, "EAM Jaishankar’s silence isn’t just telling, it’s damning. So I’ll ask again: How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew? This wasn’t a lapse. It was a crime. And the nation deserves the truth."

The Congress leader had also targeted the External Affairs Minister in an X post for “informing Pakistan at the start of our attack.” Gandhi had asked, “Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our Air Force lose as a result?”