Rahul Gandhi Slams Jaishankar Over Operation Sindoor, Demands Answers on Alleged Aircraft Losses

New Delhi: Escalating his criticism of the government over Operation Sindoor, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar of remaining silent on whether the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost any aircraft during the operation and demanded full transparency from the government.

“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,” Gandhi said in a post on X, reiterating concerns he had raised earlier this month.

The Congress leader also shared a video of Jaishankar dated May 17, in which the EAM is seen saying: “At the start of the operation we have sent a message to Pakistan saying we are striking at infrastructure and we are not striking at the military, so military has the option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take good advice.”

Backing Gandhi’s questions, Congress MP Manickam Tagore also raised the pitch. In a strongly worded post on X, he said: “On May 17, 2025, the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi asked a serious and specific question: ‘How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew in advance?’ This came after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in a recent interview, admitted that India informed Pakistan ahead of #OperationSindoor — a sensitive military mission.”

Tagore continued, “Why was Pakistan informed in advance? Who authorised this breach of operational secrecy? If Indian aircraft were lost because of foreknowledge given to the enemy — this isn’t a lapse. It’s a betrayal. The nation deserves the truth. Parliament deserves accountability. And those responsible must be held to account.”

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had called the government’s decision to inform Pakistan “a crime,” posting: “Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that the GOI did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our air force lose as a result?”

In response, the Ministry of External Affairs issued a clarification, calling Gandhi’s statement “an utter misrepresentation of facts.” The MEA said Jaishankar had referred to a message sent to Pakistan “after the commencement of Operation Sindoor,” not before it, and that the intent was to avoid escalation by targeting only terror infrastructure, not the Pakistani military.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, following a brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22 that killed 26 civilians. The Indian Armed Forces reportedly eliminated over 100 terrorists linked to groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen in precision strikes deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.