New Delhi: A political row erupted Saturday between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress over their respective roles in national security matters after the ruling party targeted the former UPA government under Manmohan Singh, as the conflict between India and Pakistan continued to escalate.
On Saturday morning, in a post on X, the BJP said, “Unlike the UPA regime’s passivity, New India has no patience for futile peace talks.”
It also said, “The message to the enemies is loud and clear. Don’t mess with us.”
A video, accompanying the post, used images of the 2005 Delhi blasts that killed over 62 people, the 2006 train blasts that killed over 209, and the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed over 166, as well as images of PM Manmohan Singh and highlighted that peace talks were held after each of these incidents. “No retaliation, no lesson taught,” the video said on top of one image of the former Prime Minister.
The video then included images from the 2010 Pune, the 2011 Delhi, and the 2013 Hyderabad attacks, with the words “peace talks”.
“Then came PM Modi. No more talks. No more peace with a terror-supporting nation. He’s on a mission. To send every terrorist to hell,” the video said.
In a similar video in another post, captioned, “No room for fear, only action!” the BJP used photos of a series of terror attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in which 166 people, with images of former PM Manmohan Singh carrying out “peace talks…again”.
With the voiceover of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Bihar, soon after the Pahalgam attacks—where he said, “Now the time has come to destroy whatever little ground the terrorists have left”—the video included a montage of videos of the PM and some unidentified attacks, asking, “If not him, then who?”
𝐍𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!
क्योंकि अब आतंकियों की बची-कुची जमीन को भी मिट्टी में मिलाने का समय आ गया है… #OperationSindoor pic.twitter.com/e4Jke6TWwR
— BJP (@BJP4India) May 10, 2025
In response, in an X post, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, “So now you want to do politics? Is it time to do politics? Does the government not need the support of the Opposition? Isn’t it time to give a message of unity? The government and BJP should clarify.”
This comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. Since Wednesday, when India launched Operation Sindoor, striking nine terror complexes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the deadly Pahalgam attacks, Pakistan has carried out a series of attacks with drones and loitering munitions. According to the Union government, India has responded to these “provocations” with equal “intensity”.
On Saturday, Congress party leader Srinivas B.V. also accused the BJP’s IT cell of spreading hatred and doing “dirty politics” through its “disgusting IT cells”.
“If your agenda is only to flatter Modi and make fun of the sacrifices of the martyrs, then say it openly but do not make fun of the martyrdom of those who have been killed in the last few days in Pahalgam, Poonch and other border areas,” he said on X.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also reacted to the post, asking the BJP to refrain from indulging in politics.
“When the whole country is united and standing with the Indian Armed Forces against Pakistan, then it is not right for the ruling party BJP to do such politics. This is not the time for politics but for the whole country to unite and teach Pakistan a lesson,” the party said on X.
Meanwhile, Amit Malviya, senior BJP leader and IT department in-charge, called Congress a “national disgrace”, adding that the Pakistan Army was using videos of its leaders for propaganda.
“The Pakistan Army is showcasing videos of Rahul Gandhi and Satyapal Malik to accuse the Indian government of orchestrating the Pulwama attack for electoral gains. Congress is a national disgrace,” he wrote on X.
The Congress was quick to respond, with senior party leader Supriya Shrinate asking the BJP whether “your target terrorists and their Pakistani masterminds or your political opponents in our democratic system at a time like this?”.
“Instead of dealing with Pakistan, these BJP scoundrels are spreading Pakistan’s propaganda. Shame on these people. Show loyalty to the country at least once,” Shrinate wrote on X.
Are your target terrorists and their Pakistani masterminds or your political opponents in our democratic system at a time like this?
पाकिस्तान से निपटने के बजाय BJP के यह ग़लीज़ पाकिस्तान के प्रोपेगंडा को फैला रहे हैं
धिक्कार है इन लोगों पर. कभी तो देश के लिए वफादारी दिखाओ https://t.co/Ssh9nM8tRe
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) May 9, 2025
Spat on Rafale issue
Furthermore, in response to another Kerala BJP post that said that Rahul Gandhi didn’t want India to have Rafale jets, the Kerala Congress claimed, “If it was UPA Govt in power we could have had 126 jets at lesser cost that too with technology transfer.”
The Kerala Congress further included a comparison that showed that, while under the NDA government, 36 kets have been procured at a cost of Rs. 1,670 crore, under the UPA, the deal would have cost Rs 570 crore.
“We aimed at Pakistan, but it looks like someone else got hit instead. Rahul Gandhi objected to the mass corruption in the name of Rafale. Even BJP’s defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, was not involved in the negotiations done by Modi and his partner Anil Ambani. Finally, Mr. Parikkar resigned, unable to come to terms with the scale of the scandal,” it added.
“Do you want us to dig further and expose all those leaders involved in it. “Let us know when you can stomach that?”
This post was later unavailable.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: Pakistan launches Operation Bunyan un Marsoos against India, Indian air defence in action
