Rahul Gandhi Accusations and PM Modi Rebuttal on Operation Sindoor

The Indian political landscape witnessed a fiery exchange in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of exploiting the armed forces for political gain following the “Pahalgam attack” and “Operation Sindoor.” This ignited a robust defense from PM Modi, who vehemently rejected the allegations, leading to a heated debate on national security, political will, and international relations.

Rahul Gandhi’s primary contention revolved around two key accusations. Firstly, he alleged that Prime Minister Modi was “using the armed forces to protect his image,” implying a politicization of military actions. He dared Modi to directly contradict US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of having brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Gandhi pointedly stated, “If Modi ji has even 50 per cent of the courage that Indira Gandhi had, then clearly he must say in Parliament — Donald Trump is lying.” This challenge invoked the legacy of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, suggesting a lack of decisive leadership from the current government.

Secondly, Gandhi criticized the government’s handling of “Operation Sindoor,” the Indian military’s response to the Pahalgam attack. He claimed a lack of “political will” and accused the Modi administration of having “tied the hands” of the armed forces, thereby denying them crucial operational freedom. He controversially suggested that if the government had heeded his earlier warnings about a potential China-Pakistan nexus, “you would not have lost those five planes” during the operation. Furthermore, Gandhi alleged that sensitive details about “Operation Sindoor” were “revealed to Pakistan soon after it was launched,” raising concerns about operational security. He drew a stark contrast with Indira Gandhi’s leadership in the 1971 war, advocating for a Prime Minister who would grant the armed forces complete autonomy to “Go, finish the job.”

In a powerful rebuttal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dismissed Gandhi’s accusations as “no-holds-barred” but baseless. He categorically asserted that “no world leader had told India to stop Operation Sindoor,” directly addressing the insinuations about international pressure and Trump’s claims. Modi lashed out at the Congress, accusing them of “importing issues from Pakistan” and “joining terrorists and their masterminds in shedding tears after the victorious Indian military action.” This aggressive counter-attack sought to frame the opposition’s criticism as unpatriotic and detrimental to national morale.

Modi provided a detailed account of a late-night call from US Vice President JD Vance, where he was warned of a major Pakistani attack. The Prime Minister’s firm response, “if Pakistan attacks India, our attack would be much bigger as we will respond to bullets with cannons,” was highlighted as proof of India’s unwavering resolve and lack of external influence. He emphasized that “no country in the world has stopped India from any action in its defence against terrorism,” while lamenting that “it is unfortunate that the Congress did not support the valour of our soldiers.”

The Prime Minister further asserted that the Pakistani airbases targeted by India “are still in ICU,” and the “masterminds of the April 22 terror attack continue to have sleepless nights.” He credited the “complete trust in the capabilities of our armed forces” and the “free hand” given to them for the successful operation. Modi also underscored India’s defiance of “Pakistan’s nuclear bluff,” demonstrating that the nation “will not bow down to nuclear blackmail.”